Telegraph 03.10.06
Wounded soldiers 'get appalling health care'
By Thomas Harding, Defence Correspondent, Nick Britten and Catriona Davies
Senior Army officers and Service charities united last night in condemning the treatment of wounded troops as "an absolute disgrace".
Field Marshal Lord Bramall, a former chief of the defence staff, said the outpatient service for soldiers was "appalling". Charity chiefs believe there is a "lost battalion" of 500 troops who have been ignored or forgotten after leaving hospital.
The row follows The Daily Telegraph's report of security worries at Selly Oak Hospital, Birmingham, where a paratrooper was threatened by a man who accused him of "killing my Muslim brothers in Afghanistan".
Field Marshal Bramall, who commanded the Army during the Falklands conflict, said that military medical care had been "cobbled together" and was clearly not working.
He said: "The Ministry of Defence always said it would put things right with a centre of excellence for military care in Birmingham which was going to be a tremendous place. But it never took off because no funds were put into it. The situation is now very serious and needs to be addressed immediately."
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