The RAFT Legacy

RAFT was founded in 1988 by four plastic surgeons to develop wound healing therapies for severe burns.

Since then, RAFT has transformed medical science. More than one hundred of RAFT’s projects are used in hospitals and clinics to change the lives of patients. Throughout its history, surgeons, scientists and researchers have worked together at RAFT to improve the way burns are treated, how plastic surgery is performed, how skin cancer is diagnosed, and how life-changing conditions like toxic shock are assessed. Particular achievements include the invention of the air bed and work on the classification of sun creams, leading to the regime now in operation globally.

This research has changed the face of healthcare the world over. RAFT’s work has saved lives, improved treatments and recovery times, influenced healthcare policies globally, and changed laws.