| Topic: | Re:Re:Re:A young man in a geriatric ward | |
| Posted by: | David Giles | |
| Date/Time: | 30/05/07 07:48:00 |
| Tom, I agree with you that majority of the deaths of British service personnel are a consequence of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. However it is well documented that quite a few of the deaths have been due to inadequate equipment, equipment shortages and ammunition shortages. For that the British Government has to be held responsible. I agree that Afghanistan is a different case from Iraq.However, British troops deployed in Afghanistan are chronically under-equipped and inadequately supported- both in the field and when they return home wounded. The US Veteran Administration and the US military hospitals doubtlessly have their problems and of course the US does not have a national health service. However the US has over 100 military hospitals while the UK has only 1 and that will 1 will be closing shortly. It is generally accepted that it is inappropriate to treat severely wounded and traumatized soldiers in civilian hospitals.It is not fair on the wounded men and women, it is not fair on the other patients in the wards and it is not fair on the NHS staff who lack the specialist skills and experience required. In addition, the armed forces medical services such as the RAMC have been decimated in recent years with the result that their front line and behind the lines capablities have been seriously reduced. The US Veterans Adminstration may well have its inadequacies but I have never heard any complaints from my brother-in-law, a Vietnam era veteran, who continues to be well looked after 30 years after he left the US Air Force. At least it exists and is well funded - compared to ther situation here in the UK where veterans have to rely on the failing and deteriorating NHS and on service charities. This Governemt has a very shabby record in terms of the armed forces- in terms of pay,under-manning, housing, inadequate equipment, extended deplyments away from home, excessive reliance on Territorial and Reserve personnel and excessive demands on armed forces personnel and their families.However, the most serious neglect has been in the treatment of the wounded and the traumatised. |