come_the_day
Lantern Swinger

A comment in the thread about Mr Kember touches a raw nerve about healthcare for the Services and retired Servicemen.
Should the UK have a Veterans Administration in the US mould?
Having got rid of all the old Service hospitals, is there any scope for this, anyway, and should the Chiefs revisit this appalling misjudgement and reinstate decent healthcare for both serving and non-serving personnel?
What springs immediately to mind is that young, previously fit and healthy Servicemen are being injured daily in the Middle East, often losing limbs or suffering severe psychiatric problems. They are returned to UK and pensioned out in due course, leaving the NHS to pick up the pieces in treatment terms, when the individuals need a much more comprehensive level of support.
I have no doubt that our lords and masters will dismiss this with the fact that it would be too expensive to manage, but people who go into situations where they might be killed or seriously injured on behalf of the country should be able to expect such a comprehensive care package when the worst happens. They should also be able to expect to be cared for amongst their peers.
Should the UK have a Veterans Administration in the US mould?
Having got rid of all the old Service hospitals, is there any scope for this, anyway, and should the Chiefs revisit this appalling misjudgement and reinstate decent healthcare for both serving and non-serving personnel?
What springs immediately to mind is that young, previously fit and healthy Servicemen are being injured daily in the Middle East, often losing limbs or suffering severe psychiatric problems. They are returned to UK and pensioned out in due course, leaving the NHS to pick up the pieces in treatment terms, when the individuals need a much more comprehensive level of support.
I have no doubt that our lords and masters will dismiss this with the fact that it would be too expensive to manage, but people who go into situations where they might be killed or seriously injured on behalf of the country should be able to expect such a comprehensive care package when the worst happens. They should also be able to expect to be cared for amongst their peers.