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British troops wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan are receiving appalling care in British hospitals, according to families who have made complaints similar to those leveled against Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington.
“We gloriously see them off to war and then neglect them when they come back,” said Phillip Cooper, whose son, Jamie, 18, is a soldier who was severely injured in a mortar attack in Iraq in November. “They lay down their lives for their country, then they get treated appallingly.”
Detailing a long list of problems in a telephone interview, Cooper said his son’s colostomy bag has twice been allowed to overflow, forcing him to lie in his own feces. On one occasion, Cooper said, he and his wife changed the bag themselves after nurses on duty at the Selly Oak Hospital in Birmingham, Britain’s principal medical center tending to wounded soldiers, said they did not know how.
“We didn’t mind doing it — he’s our son — but we shouldn’t have had to,” Cooper said.
Allegations of poor care for British service members were first reported Sunday in the Observer newspaper, which quoted from several letters of complaint sent to the Defense Ministry by families of the wounded. The letters alleged that troops had suffered from a lack of basic medical care, including some who had been deprived of adequate pain medication after wards ran out of supplies.
“They are not getting what they expect, nor are their family members getting what they expect,” said Sue Freeth, welfare director for the Royal British Legion, which represents 450,000 service members and veterans. Freeth said many soldiers are waiting 18 months or longer for critical mental health care services, which she called “a national disgrace.”
The army’s top medical officer and a spokesman for Prime Minister Tony Blair played down the complaints.
Blair’s spokesman said in an interview that the government remains confident in the overall quality of care for wounded troops. “These stories are clearly distressing individually, but we still think the NHS is the best place for these people to be treated,” the spokesman said, referring to the National Health Service. The spokesman spoke on condition he not be named, following standard British government policy.
It is OUTRAGEOUS, that this government and their Conservative party allies sent our good men and women to fight illegal wars.
It is OUTRAGEOUS, that they dont hold their hands up and appologise.
It is OUTRAGEOUS, that our good men and women are treated so appaullingly.
What’s the problem Emma …. why should a soldier (war hero???) be treated any differently from all the other NHS patients???
Failing to provide adequate nursing care ….. didn’t empty his colostomy bag and allowed it to overflow onto the bedding …. so he spent all night lying in this stuff …… all completely normal in today’s NHS.
Another soldier was allowed to remain in agony for hours after nursing / medical staff didn’t give him his pain relief medecine. So what’s new about that. Loads of patients lie in agony in today’s NHS – why should thid guy be treated differently?
They should think themselves really really lucky that they didn’t get MRSA whilst in hospital….. yes yet another free benefit with today’s NHS.
To be fair, soldiers are supposed to be tougher and more tolerant to pain and such messes than ‘ordinary people’.
So they can put it down as ‘training’.
The fact that he has served in iraq has nothing to do with the topic
He has had a poor level of care but certainly not uncommon. Scandalous- it has been and remains so. Disgraceful..absolutely, it has been disgraceful for some years now
His parents experiences ae indicative of many peoples experiences, especially when elderly parents are admitted into hospital.
Funny how this story has come to light a week after the Americans brought up a similar story…did his parents not think it was “appalling” 3 months ago?
@forumhostpb wrote:
What’s the problem Emma …. why should a soldier (war hero???) be treated any differently from all the other NHS patients???
Failing to provide adequate nursing care ….. didn’t empty his colostomy bag and allowed it to overflow onto the bedding …. so he spent all night lying in this stuff …… all completely normal in today’s NHS.
Another soldier was allowed to remain in agony for hours after nursing / medical staff didn’t give him his pain relief medecine. So what’s new about that. Loads of patients lie in agony in today’s NHS – why should thid guy be treated differently?
They should think themselves really really lucky that they didn’t get MRSA whilst in hospital….. yes yet another free benefit with today’s NHS.
In todays paper, a 36 HOUR old baby, thought to be the youngest victim has died of MRSA.
I read another story about a man who watched his wife die in agony for three days as the hospital had ran out of Morphine, which would have eased her passing.
I hope I never have to go in a hospital again!!
Yup we sure have a lot to be grateful for these days as far as the NHS is concerned.
Record spending on the NHS – the Government has never spent so much. More doctors, more nurses, more hospitals, lower waiting lists, the list of wondrous achievements just goes on and on doesn’t it?
And what do we REALLY get for our hard earned cash that has been ripped out of our pockets by Gordon and hus numerous stealth taxes …. dirtier hospitals … a useless computer system that isn’t fit for purpose …. ever growing deaths and infections from MRSA and assorted other bugs … restrictive budgets based on postcodes which means that certain classes of the sick and needy don’t get the drugs or treatment they need …. redundancies all over the place … hospitalds being closed …. yes the list of wondrous achievements just goes on and on doesn’t it?
The NHS is the biggest employer in Europe, most of the time it performs its tasks admirably. Occasionally things go wrong. The present government didn’t create MRSA!
@Ow£n Ka$h wrote:
The NHS is the biggest employer in Europe, most of the time it performs its tasks admirably. Occasionally things go wrong. The present government didn’t create MRSA!
Occasionally????? Didn’t create MRSA??? Oh so it’s all nothing to do with the Government then is it??? THEY aren’t in charge and rsponsible for the NHS. Must be those bloody Tories.
Hang on a moment …. which Century were the Tories last in power???? Oh yes that’s right – it was the last Century.
Never mind, keep on pissing our money down the drain and when (not if) it all goes wrong … blame somebody else. I really can’t wait to see Gordon Brown use his famous social skills resolving the NHS problem.
@Ow£n Ka$h wrote:
The NHS is the biggest employer in Europe
As PB pointed out, New Labour RULE our NHS, so does that make your New Labour extremists the blamees of the disasters of our NHS?
Maybe Scotland’s Anthony Blair should’ve said, Education, NHS, Crime.
@forumhostpb wrote:
What’s the problem Emma …. why should a soldier (war hero???) be treated any differently from all the other NHS patients???
Failing to provide adequate nursing care ….. didn’t empty his colostomy bag and allowed it to overflow onto the bedding …. so he spent all night lying in this stuff …… all completely normal in today’s NHS.
Another soldier was allowed to remain in agony for hours after nursing / medical staff didn’t give him his pain relief medecine. So what’s new about that. Loads of patients lie in agony in today’s NHS – why should thid guy be treated differently?
They should think themselves really really lucky that they didn’t get MRSA whilst in hospital….. yes yet another free benefit with today’s NHS.
:shock: :shock: :shock:
FFs PB the poor guys in question had been fighting for there Country
Not just some lay about who wants things on the NHS cos its free ( Muslim )
I think Our soldiers should get the best treatment going ,,,,,,,FFS the Advert does`nt say for recruiting them , BE THE BEST but dont get injured cause we turn our backs on you
ffs PB get a grip man im in shock at your little outburst , ( ex soldier here ) & no I dont mean the Dibknob Squad :lol:
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