Does the UK adequately look after its injured Armed Forces personnel?

I.J.

I rarely get angry but having just listened to the plight of injured serviceman Ben Parkinson on Radio 5 I am untterly appalled at the way Labour and Tory Governments treat injured serviceman. Ben was blown up in Afghanistan in 2006 and has suffered the worst injuries of any surviving member of our armed forces. The Army have just stated that he is no longer fit for service and have pensioned him off, the result of which is his £100k per annum rehabilitation care bill will no longer be paid by the State and will instead fall upon his family ......

C.F.

i seen that a cpl of days ago trully shocking

So Fi

Unbelievable

F.G.

why do we have an NHS? for all the billions is costs it cant even look after our troops - nope cos its not fit for purpose like all the rest of the government agencies

S.O.

What's it got to do with the NHS Frank? This is an indictment of War and the crass justifications for it made by our glory-seeking politicos. We always find the money to fight to 'save' other nations, but don't seem too fussed about picking up the tab for the consequences.

A.K.

We are bombing the life out of Libya and many civilians are hurt so badly that they have to be brought to this country for treatment...These are mainly children...I am not against this but charity begins at home...This soldier has recieved these horrendous injuries serving this country....It is disgusting that this gov can turn their back on him now....

I.J.

For me it really does ask a question ......... we give billions away in foreign aid and to the EU but don't look after service men and women who get injured performing their duty. Its not about whether you support this war or that conflict these guys do a great job on behalf of their country and should be treated accordingly when the need arrises ....

So Fi

It is not about the EU and foreign aid either.

I.J.

But SoFi the foreign aid budget is £7B and rising. I would like to see some of this redirected to putting back together the lives of injured servicemen and their families ......

S.O.

Of course it's about War Ian - how else do you pick up these kinds of injuries? You can't separate the two, not at all. This country hasn't needed defending in over 60 years.

You're correct about foreign aid etc (to a degree) of course. Then there's our export guarantee schemes, bailing out of the banks etc.

So Fi

Well I still disagree, you could say it is all about PRIORITY and I would agree on that thought we may have different views on where the priorities are.

Back to the specifics, of course I would expect a country to have a moral obligation towards its soldiers and to pick the tab for any of the consequences of war, or not to go to war, it is all about consistency.

R.R.

I remember when I was a boy lived near the woolwich military hospital which dealt with falklands war casualties . I dont expect the NHS to cover specialist care for ben parkinson , as His needs and type of injuries are not something that warrants a NHS budget and are not typical of the civillian populations . However the responsibility rests at the door with the MOD , after all they are responsible for his injuries as all injured in conflict on behalf of the government . Specialist medical units should not be cut . Look elsware to reduce the budget .

S.S

But the point is, and I am not saying I agree with this, once he has been discharged he is no longer military personnel and therefore is entitled to NHS treatment.

I.J.

Scott of course war causes the casualties I was merely pointing out that an individuals views on a particular conflict or war shouldn'thave any bearing on the fact that we need to do more for injured service personnel

I.J.

SoFi I'd concede its a priority issue ..... I think we should donate money for overseas aid but should do much more for the likes of injured service personnel.

I.J.

Thats the point Sheila this country seems to be happy to simply abandon those terribly injured to the 'system' it place emphasis on giving aid oversees which is an appalling indictment of our country ....

H.A.

God bless The Sun newspaper...

So Fi

the state should have a duty of care for wounded soldiers, I thought it had, I am utterly surprised it has not.

S.S

I understand what you are saying Ian and I am not saying I agree with what is happening, but how many employers do you know who would look after an employee who has not been fit for work for 5 years.

J.R.

At the risk of being called 'unpatriotic' the UK does have a 'professional army' and troops are not conscripts. Whilst I accept for some young men and women joining the armed services may be the only choice of regular employment, they all join knowing the risks they face. The Afghan war has been going on for 10 years now and we should have never been involved. It is a tradegy that our young people return from was in pieces but they volunteered to serve and sadly going to war is a consequence.

I.J.

Guys I think there is an enormous difference between going to work in a factory for Joe Bloggs & Son, getting injured and going to serve in the armed forces and getting injured on active service .....

R.R.

Jeremy First of all before I rant , Good luck to Ben , I hear that interview this morning and am humbled buy his courage ! When your 14-16 in army cadets and living In a place of poverty and low unemployment the army sounds a great exhiting place to be . But maybe I have the luxuary of age that I am cynical . I was brought up to believe to fight for my country and is a noble cause . I still believe so . Who right minded n able would"nt take up arms to defend the people you love so dear n yr friends your town ect . But this is 2011 and the world and the UK has moved on , and these human emotions are being used for no more than personal gain bye a few . Going to war in 2011 has a different meaning to going to war in years gone . These soldiers volunteered to defend our country , family and homes not BP and other corporations interest .

S.S

Don't agree with you Ian, industrial accidents happen all the time, we just don't hear about them so much.

H.A.

Okay so look at this then. You do a job that has a risk risk of injury and this is common knowledge. Doesn't the company you are working for build this into their liability insurance? Perhaps the MOD should stop spending bloody £65 per lightbulb and put the difference into a specialised injury compensation policy.

A.J.B.W.

‎" At the risk of being called 'unpatriotic' the UK does have a 'professional army' and troops are not conscripts. Whilst I accept for some young men and women joining the armed services may be the only choice of regular employment, they all join knowing the risks they face."

I totally agree Jeremy. And we should be proud that we do have a professional Army.

The treatment of this soldier is disgusting but not unprecedented.

So Fi

I guess they get huge compensation anyway??

J.R.

Robb. Let me put it this way. If Britain was under threat of invasion and there was a call to defend our homes, towns, and cities, from an invading force, then I would gladly volunteer but, however, to fight on some distant battlefield to fight an enemy who has done me no harm and is not a threat to mine or my family, then no I would not volunteer. Whatever the 'noble cause' our young women and men think they are fighting for, they do it for purely selfish reasons.

However, I do believe that the govt has a 'duty of care' toward those they send into battle, just as they have a 'duty of care' to those who work in many other occupations and pay into the NHS. To claim priority should depend on the basis of need and not 'right', and just because a soldier is injured in battle their 'rights' are no greater than anyone else's.

On a personal note, if the children of politicians all did a stint in the army, perhaps their parents would be less willing to go to war...

I.J.

Jeremy I couln't disagree more ..... why anyone in our armed forces would want to join and do their duty for the Government and many of the people in the UK is frankly beyond me ..... I've said before if I can give my kids one piece of advise for when they gro up it would be emigrate

R.F.

Whatever. There are plenty of people suffering, not just soldiers. I never told anyone to go and get killed or injured for my sake, nor would I.

J.R.

That's the point Ian, they don't do 'their' duty, they do the govt's. Send the damned politicians to war and leave our kids at home, and the whole world would be a safer place!