Our Wounded Soldiers

Anyone who has been reading UK newspapers recently can't have failed to notice the disgraceful way we are allowing our wounded servicemen to be treated. There is a particularly outrageous story of a young soldier who had to be taken to a Birmingham Hospital, Selly Oak, by LORRY - because there was no ambulance available to transport him. This young lad had severe injuries and needed more than 20 surgical procedures, yet he was apparently dumped in A and E, where he was told to remove his uniform in case someone who did not support the war in Iraq was offended!!
Ye gods and little tin fishes!!!!! That is so disgraceful, ungrateful and outrageous that the mind boggles. See the newspaper article here.

As it happens, I did not support the war in Iraq, but when the decision was made to send our armed forces there, I supported them because they are very brave and I felt it was my patriotic duty to do so. I feel deeply ashamed at the way they are treated. They no longer even have specialist Service hospitals and Rehabilitation units. That is madness, as their needs are too complex to be dealt with by civilian hospitals. Think of a physiotherapist who has had a career primarily involved with keeping the elderly arthritis sufferers mobile. That cannot suit the needs of a young man with traumatic amputations and brain damage. Sorry, but it doesn't. These young people have given all they had in response to the call of duty and when things go wrong, they MUST be properly cared for and treated. It is the least we can do.

They need access to specialist Trauma counsellors, surgeons with special skills in the treatment of multiple traumatic injuries, highly skilled nurses, specially trained physiotherapists and occupational therapists. What is available in Civvie Street doesn't come close to what these people - and their families - need.

It is all too common for compensation to be paltry and very much delayed. Many ex-servicemen with psychiatric injuries are not treated for their Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and turn to drink and drugs and eventually become homeless.

I plead for these lost lives, for those who now merely exist, and for the appalling tragedy that hits their families and loved ones.

A charity has been set up to help these people. At the moment they are trying to raise money for a heated physiotherapy pool. Take a look at the charity and donate what you can, even if it is only a pound. As they say at the supermarket "Every little helps".