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  • Military health care

    V C winner condemns care of soldiers

    The Army's most decorated serving war hero has claimed the Government is failing to care for soldiers with mental trauma caused by combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. VC winner Johnson Beharry has condemned the care of soldiers Lance Corporal Johnson Beharry, who was awarded the Victoria Cross for saving the lives of comrades during two ambushes in Iraq, said it was "disgraceful" that some veterans were not getting the treatment they needed.

    He told The Independent that the Government had not done enough to help soldiers suffering from severe combat stress, depression and mental breakdowns.

    Cpl Beharry also said military charities were being used to patch up holes in soldiers' care.

    "These are people who have served this country. Why can't they get treatment? I don't think the Government is doing enough for soldiers," he said.

    "Those who are still serving get some form of help for combat stress but even those who are serving don't get enough support. I think it is disgraceful that an ex-serviceman or woman has to go to the NHS. The Government should have something in place for ex-servicemen and women."

    Cpl Beharry, of the 1st Battalion, The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment, twice rescued colleagues while under heavy rocket fire in Al-Amarah in May and June 2004.

    He was awarded the VC four years ago for "repeated extreme gallantry and unquestioned valour".

    Speaking of his own stress following his return from Iraq, the 29-year-old said: "It brings me back into the killing zone, to the explosion. When you hear a bang in Iraq you know it is going to be followed by something and back home you feel the same. You go tense, waiting. I go into that defence mode. I am learning to live with it. Everyone experiences combat stress differently. But we are all linked, we all suffer the same problem in different ways."

    Defence Minister Kevan Jones said: "We recognise mental illnesses as serious and disabling conditions but also ones that can be treated. Our dedicated psychiatric teams based in Theatre provide the very best diagnosis and treatment of psychological illnesses both during and after deployments."



    A brave soldier and well done him for trying to bring to the attention of the public this outrageous state of affairs,,, i think all military health care is now NHS as the govt in their wisdom closed all (i think) BMHs .
    :(
    Last edited by tankie; 28 Feb 09,, 22:40.

  • #2
    Originally posted by tankie View Post
    He told The Independent that the Government had not done enough to help soldiers suffering from severe combat stress, depression and mental breakdowns.
    Unless the leadership is trained to look for signs of such, it is often the individual who must asked for this help. Unfortunately, such requests are also career enders. Not on purpose but any leader would have to replace the invisible wounded ASAP just to carry on the job.

    Thus, many suffer in silence.

    Comment


    • #3
      http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7916221.stm

      Defence Minister Kevan Jones also insisted his department was "not complacent" about the issue.

      "We recognise mental illnesses as serious and disabling conditions but also ones that can be treated," he said.

      "Our dedicated psychiatric teams based in theatre provide the very best diagnosis and treatment of psychological illnesses both during and after deployments."

      Figures published by the MoD in November showed nearly 4,000 new cases of mental health disorder were diagnosed among armed services personnel in 2007.

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by tankie View Post
        V C winner condemns care of soldiers

        The Army's most decorated serving war hero has claimed the Government is failing to care for soldiers with mental trauma caused by combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. VC winner Johnson Beharry has condemned the care of soldiers Lance Corporal Johnson Beharry, who was awarded the Victoria Cross for saving the lives of comrades during two ambushes in Iraq, said it was "disgraceful" that some veterans were not getting the treatment they needed.

        He told The Independent that the Government had not done enough to help soldiers suffering from severe combat stress, depression and mental breakdowns.

        Cpl Beharry also said military charities were being used to patch up holes in soldiers' care.

        "These are people who have served this country. Why can't they get treatment? I don't think the Government is doing enough for soldiers," he said.

        "Those who are still serving get some form of help for combat stress but even those who are serving don't get enough support. I think it is disgraceful that an ex-serviceman or woman has to go to the NHS. The Government should have something in place for ex-servicemen and women."

        Cpl Beharry, of the 1st Battalion, The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment, twice rescued colleagues while under heavy rocket fire in Al-Amarah in May and June 2004.

        He was awarded the VC four years ago for "repeated extreme gallantry and unquestioned valour".

        Speaking of his own stress following his return from Iraq, the 29-year-old said: "It brings me back into the killing zone, to the explosion. When you hear a bang in Iraq you know it is going to be followed by something and back home you feel the same. You go tense, waiting. I go into that defence mode. I am learning to live with it. Everyone experiences combat stress differently. But we are all linked, we all suffer the same problem in different ways."

        Defence Minister Kevan Jones said: "We recognise mental illnesses as serious and disabling conditions but also ones that can be treated. Our dedicated psychiatric teams based in Theatre provide the very best diagnosis and treatment of psychological illnesses both during and after deployments."



        A brave soldier and well done him for trying to bring to the attention of the public this outrageous state of affairs,,, i think all military health care is now NHS as the govt in their wisdom closed all (i think) BMHs .
        :(
        BMHs' do not exist as pure Military Hospitals anymore, the last one closed in 2007 (Royal Hospital, Haslar in Gosport near Portsmouth) where I had my last knee operations.

        Medical services in the Military are now Tri-Service, the biggest and main centre is the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine in Birmingham, a joint Military-NHS Centre, in Selly Oak, Birmingham. The Selly Oak Hospital has Military Wards along with Derriford in PlymouthFriarage Hospital in North Allerton near Catterick and Frimley Park near Aldershot.

        Shame the BMHs' disappeared though, they were very good.

        Comment


        • #5
          The Military should be proud of this, some fantastic care being given.

          http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/De...sexemplary.htm

          Comment


          • #6
            I don't think for one minute Beharry thought of this himself. He is another victim of Media Vampire Syndrome. The lad himself is a quiet unassuming guy, and he probable has been lulled into a false sense of security when speaking to the press. As we all know words are often 'embellished' to sell papers;) Soldiers have been telling Government that there is not enough being done to help them. It has been brought up in the Media, yet despite all the (false) promises nothing of significance has been done unless it makes then 'look good'..Shameful.

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by Chaobam Armour View Post
              The Military should be proud of this, some fantastic care being given.

              http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/De...sexemplary.htm
              Agreed on that CA, but we had to fight tooth and nail to get it off the ground.

              Comment


              • #8
                I know we did, but now it is there, it is just fantastic news for the boys and girls.

                Comment


                • #9
                  The best i saw was BMH Woolich in Londonistan , immaculate place ,,sadly where my wife passed away :(

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