UK:NHS failing 'soldiers with post traumatic stress'

NHS failing 'soldiers with post traumatic stress'Western Morning News - Plymouth, England,UK

Wednesday, November 12, 2008, 10:00

THE NHS has been accused of failing armed forces personnel suffering from post traumatic stress syndrome.

New information obtained under the Freedom of Information Act by the leader of the Teignbridge District Council, Alan Connett, revealed that mental health trusts throughout the country are not aware of new Government rules demanding that injured armed forces personnel are given priority treatment.

Coun Connett e-mailed 74 trusts in England with a set of 11 questions and was surprised that the majority were not aware of the Government guidelines.

Coun Connett's findings revealed many trusts do not even record if patients are, or have been, in the armed forces.

He said: "During the First World War, people would get shot for being shell-shocked.

Nowadays they don't get shot, thank God, but it seems people still don't care about our armed forces and all the stress they suffer from. We haven't learned the lesson."

In the Westcountry, only the Cornwall Partnership Trust has a £70,000 pilot programme in place to help veterans.

Other partnership trusts have nothing specific in place or did not even respond to Coun Connett's request for the relevant information.

Lisa Whyte, 34, wife of Scott Whyte, 30, a former lance corporal in the 38 Engineer Regiment, who suffered from severe post traumatic stress disorder after an eight-month tour of Iraq, said her husband had only been properly diagnosed a few weeks ago after the Royal British Legion stepped in to help.

Mrs Whyte, who lives in Uffculme, Devon, said: "I'm not surprised with these findings. The NHS has been useless. It's falling apart in this country."

On December 12, 2007, NHS chief executive David Nicholson wrote to all NHS trusts telling them about the new priority for veterans, which came into effect on January 1this year.

However, in their responses to Coun Connett's request, only 48 mental health trusts out of 74 made any reference to the new guidance. Most also confirmed they would not give any priority to treating service personnel or veterans or did not routinely ask if PTSD patients have served in the armed forces.

Coun Connett added: "As we reflect on those who have paid the ultimate price for their country, many who have fought in previous wars continue to bear the wounds, both physical and mental, of their service.
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