Medical and clinical research for burns and trauma care has been boosted by a $1-million donation from miner Anglo American to the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital (RBWH) Foundation.

The donation is the largest corporate philanthropic gift the Foundation has ever received and will be invested into RBWH Foundation Research Fellowships and innovative research projects at the Herston Biofabrication Institute and Queensland Skin Culture Centre.

Burns patient psychological recovery would also be supported through the donation.

RBWH Foundation CEO, Simone Garske said, “RBWH is renowned as being a world-leading hospital in burns treatments with one of the lowest mortality rates for burns internationally due to the patient care excellence delivered at the hospital’s Professor Stuart Pegg Burns Centre.

“We have seen this year that world class healthcare is an investment that keeps giving. This donation will ensure RBWH can continue to lead the world with groundbreaking research into burns, trauma, wounds and skin culture research.

“It will also help develop Queensland’s first burns-specific psychological service and enhance existing peer support programs.”

A guiding principle of the partnership is for outcomes to also benefit regional Queenslanders and people living in rural and remote areas, and for research outcomes to be shared internationally.

CEO of Anglo American’s Metallurgical Coal business, Tyler Mitchelson, said the donation had been made out of respect and appreciation for the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital.

“We wanted to recognise the incredible care provided this year to our five colleagues from Grosvenor Mine.

“We are very fortunate to have such a world class facility in Queensland, and our hope is that the donation will make a meaningful contribution to improving outcomes for all burns and trauma patients, through clinical research, innovation and ongoing patient support,” Mr Mitchelson said.

Acting Director of RBWH Professor Stuart Pegg Burns Centre, Dr Jason Brown, said the research program was an opportunity for the brightest and most promising RBWH clinicians to delve deeper into their work and research in the burns area.

“These outcomes, through clinical research and innovation, will not only improve the outcomes for our RBWH patients but will contribute to the body of knowledge that is shared around the world.

“RBWH already has excellent patient treatment and care but just as important for burns survivors is psychological support once they are discharged from hospital and transitioning back to everyday life.

“There is a lack of highly specialised psychological research and evidence-based support for burns survivors and their loved ones.

“The Anglo American donation will address that research gap and will also help develop and coordinate a peer support program,” said Dr Brown.

RBWH Foundation welcomed the new partnership.

“We look forward to working together to realise our mutual goals of improving burns and trauma treatment knowledge through research and collaboration,” said Ms Garske.

“This is just the beginning of a relationship that will support the communities we all serve.”