Military Ward No Nearer in Birmingham

The following is an extract from the Birmingham Evening Mail, Sat 25th Aug 07, by Mr John Walker, Political Editor:

"There are still no plans to create a dedicated military ward for service personnel treated at B'Ham Selly Oak Hospital - despite promises made by Tony Blair and Des Browne last October.

Hospital Managers revealed they had offered the MOD a dedicated facility in the New Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, set to open in 2011, but still awaiting a final decision and there will be no military ward in the existing Selly Oak - The MOD have today confirmed that it was still examining options for a military ward in the new hospital.

Mr Blair had promised a dedicated ward last year following criticism that military personnel fresh from the battlefields were being mixed with civilians. He said that he understood our troops would feel more at home if they recuparate with their comrades, that's why they have been grouped together on wards whenever possible. We want to go further now and set up a ward manged by the military at Selly Oak.

Des Brown also made the announcement in the House of Commons last October when he went on to say "We have been quietly getting on with the job of establishing a military ward in partnership with the NHS Selly Oak".

This claim, however was contradicted by the University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, who said there were no plans for a dedicated military ward at Selly Oak, as they were not treating enough patients to justify one.

A Selly Oak spokeswoman said "We do group service personnel together whenever possible. We have as many as 18 on one ward, out of a 32 bed ward, grouped together".

An MOD spokesman said: "We will take the military managed ward concept forward in our discussions with the University Hospital Birmingham NHS Trust to confirm our footprint in Birmingham's new hospital". End of extract!

Good Selly Oak coverage in the Birmingham Evening Mail and it would appear the Government are not being totally honest!! I'm sure that our B'ham MPs read the Evening Mail, such as Lynne Jones, who, if you remember, made some derogatory remarks regarding military personnel at Selley Oak in the National Newspapers a little while back, even though she was probaly very much aware of announcements made in the House of Commons! How many more of our MPs are aware of these announcements, and should we be lobbying them?

I still have the newspaper!!

Over to you!!

A single military ward, in a NHS Civilian Hospital.....how lucky the 100,000+ members of HM Forces are! Even Iraq has its own dedicated Military Hospitals!

Military personnel require dedicated Military Hospitals (Non-NHS) in order to treat the diverse injuries not found in "Civi Street". The Labour Goverment has yet again shown its true colours with regards to what it thinks of HM Forces. With the number of injuries, physio, rehabilitation, PTSD and other mental illnesses on the increase in the forces these alone justify a dedicated Military Hospital.

The Goverment is even closing civilian A&E department in a bid to cut back and save money. So will we ever see this dedicated military ward in the near future, I doubt it.

HM Forces at the back of the queue please.

It seems like the only way the Armed Forces will get their Military wing is if its under canvas, whats happening to what was once very good military facility, ever since the military became a saving plan for the treasury we have been taken for mugs.

I grips my sh.t ! promise them this now, as they will be out of Iraq soon then Afghan and hey they work for us anyway so they will do as their told attitude.

Its a duty of Care that the government a falling well short on!

God I feel much better now

Well Said Barry!!!

The Goverment has put a lot of pressure on the Army Medical Services to comply (ie funding cut backs!) to put forward a response that here are not enough Military Patients to necessitate a fully staffed, multi purpose stand alone Military Hospital, they believe it would be a waste of manpower having all the staff and no-one to treat

The fact that, at any given time a 1/4 of the Armed forces are either downgraded, on the sick or undergoing treatment..I would say that is a good enough reason to have a military Hopsital and with ongoing and increasing middle eastern troubles, there are going to be a lot more casualties.

Another reason for a dedicated military hospital would be for the treatment and care of Veterans and ex-service personnel instead of having them wait, treated in sub-standard NHS wards contracting MRSA and other super-bugs.

Unless there is a change of Political Parties, there will never be dedication to HM forces from Labour, there never has and never will.

I totaly agree with all the comments so far, however when a typist with a bad thumb can recieve more in compensation than a soldier with horriffic injuries it about sums it up.
When I consider the treatment or lack of it and after care that our troops recieve compared with other country's, it makes me ashamed of our Government and MP's who are on large salary's and allowances, they make me sick as they do not seem to care at all that they are the people who decide to send troops to here and there but are not prepared to pick up the pieces, thanks for reminding us Gerry.
Regards,
Joe.