{"id":94622,"date":"2018-08-08T08:38:49","date_gmt":"2018-08-08T08:38:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?guid=6f32eb9eb0327799af49004be22b808a"},"modified":"2018-08-08T08:38:49","modified_gmt":"2018-08-08T08:38:49","slug":"speech-british-medical-association-armed-forces-conference","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?p=94622","title":{"rendered":"Speech: British Medical Association Armed Forces Conference"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Introduction<\/h2>\n

I am delighted to be here today – I\u2019d challenge anyone to show me a more distinguished, talented and committed group of specialists than those gathered in this room.<\/p>\n

The BMA has done a great job in bringing you together.<\/p>\n

Because we\u2019re at an exciting time in Defence medicine. We\u2019re asking a lot more of our Armed Forces at the moment, as they defend our security and prosperity in an increasingly-threatening world.<\/p>\n

That means we\u2019re asking a lot more of you as Defence medics.<\/p>\n

To say you\u2019ve risen to that challenge in the past is an understatement – British military medicine has been the envy of the world for over a century.<\/p>\n

On the battlefield, we can now deal with injuries that would have been beyond hope only a few short decades ago. To my mind, that\u2019s up there with the greatest scientific achievements of the age.<\/p>\n

That achievement was not just a matter of startling technological innovation \u2013 it took courage and commitment.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not for nothing that military medical staff have been awarded 27 Victoria Crosses – and two of only three VC Bars ever awarded.<\/p>\n

The Government is deeply grateful for what you do \u2013 and we don\u2019t under-estimate the difficulties of your jobs.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s begin by recognising those challenges.<\/p>\n

Facing the Challenge: Defence & Health in Partnership<\/h2>\n

You make an essential contribution to our Armed Forces.<\/p>\n

But you\u2019re also important parts of the NHS which serves us all.<\/p>\n

So I know that you\u2019re facing the same problems in both your military and NHS work.<\/p>\n

To an extent, our society is victim of its own success in treating serious disease.<\/p>\n

People are living longer. Their expectations as patients are far higher. And as technology changes at a bewildering rate, the cost of drugs and equipment soar.<\/p>\n

That can mean stretched budgets and hard choices.<\/p>\n

Of course, the military community is not immune from the wider challenges we face \u2013 not least, in mental health.<\/p>\n

Our aging population includes an estimated 2.5 million veterans \u2013 63% of them 65 or over, according to the latest estimate. Many of them served in the Second World War or on National Service.<\/p>\n

We have an obligation of high quality care to all of them, which is embodied in the Armed Forces\u2019 Covenant.<\/p>\n

I have been a Minister in both Defence, and in what is now Health and Social Care.<\/p>\n

I know from experience that both areas are enormously complex – with different priorities, and even different languages.<\/p>\n

How are we to respond? How can we work in a properly joined-up fashion?<\/p>\n

Since this year we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of the RAF, let us turn for guidance to Sir Archibald McIndoe, the pioneer of plastic surgery for hundreds of terribly-burned aircrew who joined the \u201cGuinea Pig Club\u201d during World War II?<\/p>\n

He said that \u201cskill is fine and genius is splendid \u2013 but the right contacts are more valuable than either.\u201d<\/p>\n

He knew what he was talking about.<\/p>\n

Contacts are good in any professional environment, of course.<\/p>\n

He should know! Sir Archibald got his first job through his cousin, the equally distinguished reconstructive surgeon, Sir Harold Gillies of the Royal Army Medical Corps.<\/p>\n

But that\u2019s not what he meant.<\/p>\n

For me, he was talking about working in partnership across professional boundaries.<\/p>\n

Knowing who to turn to for specialised help \u2026 who to go to ensure that care continues once a patient is discharged.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s what you\u2019re already doing so successfully, every day of your working lives.<\/p>\n

And it\u2019s the approach we\u2019re now taking in supporting your vital work.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d like to focus today on three specific areas of that work.<\/p>\n

Tackling Mental Health Problems<\/h2>\n

First, our work on mental health.<\/p>\n

It is important to recognise that the vast majority of the 15,000 people who leave the Forces every year make a successful transition to civilian life.<\/p>\n

The rate of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder [PTSD<\/abbr>] our people suffer is about 4%.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s broadly comparable with the general population.<\/p>\n

So is the proportion who suffer a mental disorder needing specialised psychiatric services.<\/p>\n

But PTSD<\/abbr> rates rise to 7% for combat troops, who also suffer higher rates of common mental disorders such as anxiety and depression.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s an issue we have to address.<\/p>\n

We have a clear duty to those who\u2019ve come to harm in the service of our Armed Forces.<\/p>\n

It makes no difference whether that harm is physical or mental, they have \u201cparity of esteem\u201d as far as we\u2019re concerned.<\/p>\n

So we announced an additional \u00a320 million earlier this year to improve mental health services in the Armed Forces bringing our spending up to \u00a3220 million over the next decade.<\/p>\n

And we launched our Defence People Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy last year.<\/p>\n

Based on the model Promote, Prevent, Detect and Treat, that Strategy works on several levels.<\/p>\n

For serving personnel, mental health briefings prior to deployment are now mandatory.<\/p>\n

Specialist nurses work in-theatre, and Trauma Risk Management processes are now in place across all three Services, offering peer-peer support for those who have experienced traumatic events.<\/p>\n

Treatment is delivered by 11 military Departments of Community Mental Health, plus a network of satellite Mental Health Teams and visiting clinics.<\/p>\n

In-patient care is provided in dedicated psychiatric units through MOD\u2019s contract with 8 NHS Trusts.<\/p>\n

For veterans, we\u2019ve worked closely with the NHS over recent years.<\/p>\n

NHS England launched their specialised Veterans\u2019 Mental Health Complex Treatment Services on 1 April, following last year\u2019s launch of the Veterans\u2019 Transition, Intervention and Liaison Service.<\/p>\n

This links to the Veterans\u2019 Gateway and other support services, including Combat Stress – which you\u2018ll have seen has just launched a new 24-hour helpline on our behalf.<\/p>\n

The aim is to provide services which are fully accessible to those who need them most.<\/p>\n

The Armed Forces\u2019 Covenant and Veterans\u2019 Board is overseeing our work \u2013 and is meeting tomorrow [26 April] to consider health and wellbeing priorities across the Armed Forces community.<\/p>\n

Flexible Working<\/p>\n

That\u2019s one side of our new holistic approach \u2013 bringing together all relevant agencies in planning and delivering high quality care.<\/p>\n

The other side is looking at \u201cthe whole man or woman\u201d.<\/p>\n

Of all audiences, I don\u2019t need to tell you that health and wellbeing are not just matters of GP and hospital treatment.<\/p>\n

A critical part of ensuring better mental health is encouraging everyone to lead a full and balanced life.<\/p>\n

It is the stated aim of our Defence Medical Services to ensure that all personnel are \u201cfit for task\u201d.<\/p>\n

That is vital, of course – a fitter force is a more effective force for keeping the country safe.<\/p>\n

But we also owe our Armed Forces people a civilised and satisfying working life.<\/p>\n

Society is changing, and people want greater choice in how they run their lives – especially when they\u2019re caring for young children or aging parents.<\/p>\n

So we\u2019ve looked at how we can improve our current approach.<\/p>\n

Following wide consultation, the result is the Armed Forces (Flexible Working) Act 2018.<\/p>\n

From next April and subject at all times to the maintenance of operational capability, serving personnel will be able to request temporary periods of part-time service, and restrictions to the time they spend away from their home bases.<\/p>\n

We expect the long-term benefits to be significant.<\/p>\n

As well as improving our gender balance, it will give us the chance to better utilise the skills of our Reservists \u2026<\/p>\n

\u2026 and help to attract and retain the best talent.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s especially important in view of the smaller pool of 16-24 year-olds we expect to be recruiting from over the next few years.<\/p>\n

Forces Medicine \u2013 Optimism for Future<\/h2>\n

All that applies just as much to the recruitment and retention of military medics.<\/p>\n

As the Armed Forces Pay Review Body has recognised, this is a continuing area of challenge in some military medical disciplines – in intensive care, in rheumatology and rehabilitation, in anaesthetics, and more generally in Reserve recruitment.<\/p>\n

We accept that \u2013 but we\u2019re making progress.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re now meeting or exceeding our targets on recruiting Medical Officer Bursars, Cadets and direct entrants \u2013 the future of the profession.<\/p>\n

We are also supportive of the Step into Health initiative, which aims to link NHS Employers to members of the Armed Forces community.<\/p>\n

There are plenty of other grounds for optimism.<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/h2>\n

From the game-changing work of the RAMC over two World Wars \u2013 including vaccination against typhoid fever, blood transfusions, and the use of penicillin \u2026<\/p>\n

\u2026 to the startling innovations pioneered by British military medics over the last two decades, which the Royal United Service Institute recognised last year as \u201ca revolution in military medical affairs\u201d \u2026<\/p>\n

\u2026 our military medicine has led the world for over a century.<\/p>\n

Indeed, the Healthcare Commission has said that there is much the NHS can learn from our Defence Medical Services.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s clear that, despite the challenges of an ever-evolving threat environment, and the wider pressures on health provision \u2026<\/p>\n

\u2026 the core of talent, dedication and innovation in our military medicine is still very much alive and kicking.<\/p>\n

So I\u2019m ending on an optimistic note. You, our military medics, continually face new challenges. Time and again, you surmount them. We at MOD are right behind you.<\/p>\n

And the BMA\u2019s Armed Forces\u2019 Committee under [Colonel] Glynn Evans is right behind us, helping us out and \u2013 where necessary – holding us to account.<\/p>\n

We know how much you put in. McIndoe was said to spend up to 16 hours a day on his feet in the operating theatre \u2013 and, like him, our medics are still performing miracles in conflict situations. But you are also showing more everyday heroism:<\/p>\n

Dealing with the burdensome but necessary demands of bureaucracy, and balancing the competing demands of military and civilian work at a time of enormous change in both. The Government is truly grateful for your contribution in the past \u2013 and is confident that the future of military medicine is safe in your hands.<\/p>\n

Thank you.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Speech delivered by the Deputy Leader of the House of Lords and Minister of State for Defence, Rt Hon Earl Howe at the British Medical Association Armed Forces Conference.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94622"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=94622"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94622\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=94622"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=94622"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=94622"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}