Y o u a n d t h e R A F
to around £1.4Billion, and the total number of single living bed spaces to be built or improved from 2001 to 2013 to approximately 60,000.
Medical
- An increase in community psychiatric and nursing support;
- Substantially increasing the number of military nurses and making other changes to form a Military Managed Ward at Selly Oak
Support We accept absolutely our responsibility to provide effective medical and health support to our people. The support to personnel injured on operations is of an excellent standard and we continue to invest in clinical improvements elsewhere.
• For hospital treatment of Armed Forces personnel in the UK, we use NHS facilities, in partnership with the NHS, rather than maintain military hospitals. This allows our medical staff to gain the broadest and most up-to-date training and experience, which helps to save lives on military operations.
• The MOD attaches a high priority to psychological illnesses including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). As well as providing effective diagnosis and treatment, we commission and publish research and strive to raise awareness of the condition amongst our people.
Key Facts o Personnel returning from operations for treatment in the UK go to Selly Oak at the University Hospital Birmingham Trust (UHBFT) – one of the country’s top performers.
o Our rolling survey of military in-patients at Selly Oak shows that the overwhelming majority of those who responded rated their overall treatment as good, very good or excellent.
o We keep the support we provide those injured on operations, and their families, under review. Recent improvements include:
- Better travel and accommodation arrangements for visiting families.
Armed Forces
as best we can. This Strategy will take stock of any shortfalls in that support and decide how to address them across Government.
• Personnel on operations are better protected, have the best medical care, equipment and an excellent operational welfare package.
Compensation We have a comprehensive compensation package for those personnel who are injured or rendered ill as a result of service in the Armed Forces. Our personnel deserve nothing less.
• The Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) offers a lump sum payment (tax free) which is paid whilst serving. This is only one part of the package of financial support. The most seriously injured are paid on discharge an additional, regular tax free, inflation proof guaranteed income for life which can, in itself amount to hundreds of thousands of pounds and is not capped like a loss of earnings award made under the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme.
• We have reviewed the rules that apply in cases where an individual suffers more than one injury in a single incident and propose to increase the lump sum benefits for those with the most serious multiple injuries, up to the maximum lump sum award of £285,000.
o AFCS tariff levels reflect contemporary best practice in managing injury and ill-health including mental illness.
o We have engaged in a period of consultation on the proposed multiple injury rule change.
o Benefits can be paid to spouses/partners of service personnel who die as a result of service. The survivor will receive a Survivors Guaranteed Income Payment for life. There may also be eligibility for a child’s payment and an entitlement to a tax free bereavement grant of up to £20,000.
Cross-Government
Personnel Strategy We are asking a lot of our Service personnel and we are committed to supporting them
36 Spring 2008
• However, we recognise that 4 years of sustained, high tempo, operations has tested how we support personnel, their families, the bereaved and Veterans in general. There is more to be done.
• We are truly a cross-Government approach. Working with other Departments (and charities) is instrumental in addressing key concerns such as healthcare, housing and social support. We have also commissioned a parallel study into how we can encourage greater public engagement, understanding and appreciation of the Armed Forces.
• Work will begin shortly and will result in a Command paper in Spring 2008.
Key Facts o The work will be led by the MoD, consulting closely with a wide variety of other Government Departments. We will also engage with the charity sector and our Service Families’ Federations.
o This will be the first ever cross-Government Strategy for supporting Service personnel, families and veterans – covering all areas of support including accommodation, medical care, welfare and education.
o We will seek to answer questions like – are we providing the right level of support for families of the injured? Are we providing the right level of support to families during deployments? Is the support we offer for their children’s education at the right level – given that forces families move around often? Can we improve the processes for identifying the needs of families? How do we improve the resettlement of those who are medically discharged? How do we further improve our mental health support?
o The study into how we can encourage greater public engagement, understanding and appreciation of the Armed Forces will be led by Quentin Davies MP.
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