Medical Discharge System.

[Talk Wrench]

Today I received a call from a friend of mine who has just been told he will be discharged on medical grounds.

The gent in question is physically and mentally fit and has carried out his duties, albeit downgraded by the system, normally.

His downfall is that he now has to take tablets twice a day.

The said gent is capable, dedicated and if you didn't know about his "condition" and the tablets he takes, you would never know the difference between a normal and downgraded airman.

I am asking the question. Should talented individuals with a condition which requires daily medication be discharged from the service, while lesser mortals with no enthusiasm , be allowed to serve because they don't have a lower medical cat?

Difficult subject methinks.


Talk Wrench

[g126]

Possibly one for a doctor to answer, but surely it would depend on the condition, the medication taken, his job etc. Without knowing specifics on any case (and having no medical knowledge) it would be difficult to say. But in theory if the medication had no adverse affects on the person and if forgetting to take the medication would not cause major problems then I can't see any big reason for an MD. It would also depend on the job I pressume.

You have to hope the Docs know what they are doing.

[Touchin' Down]

Guess it kinda depends on the condition. If he requires medication on a reqular basis then he would be downgraded medically I would have thought. This means he may have restrictions in terms of deployment which is obviously a big part of the military. Would have to think about the implications if access to medication was not available for whatever reason. Problem is that many of the non-deployment posts are being civilianised so there are not so many options for people who can't deploy or have limitations imposed on them. I agree with you though that it seems silly to just get thrown out when you could fill a position at a training school etc where you could pass on your knowledge.

I'm not a doctor though and don't know the full picture so just a couple of thoughts.

Regards,

[tablet_eraser]

If the RAF is going to ditch capable, fit airmen on regular medication, maybe it would also have the decency to ditch the wobbling masses of fat, unfit people who are considerably less deployable and far more likely to impose a long-term health burden on the Service?

Just a thought.

[Tombstone]

I'll second that one, seems like a classic example of RAF man management.

[RubiC Cube]

As someone who has been through the process, I can tell you its not just about the "2 tablets a day". It depends on the condition, the job he does, whether the PMA desk officer can manage a downgraded airman without unduely affecting the rest of the trade.
For example, someone with a heart condition could appear fit and healthy and only be on 2 tablets a day. But they are not going to let him near an aircraft, will restict him to major base areas only (ie within reach of major medical facilities) and certainly not put him in operational areas. Should he be in a stretched/small trade, there may be no opportunity to keep him permanently at home.
The bottom line is that there are certain conditions that the Services cannot risk in a fighting force. In my experience, the medics are very fair and will not chuck you out unless they have to.

[6Z3]

If the tablets were Lithium, and he misses them for a day or two then.....

[effortless]

What happens if he is posted and can't get his meds. Will he Die? Will he be impaired? Will he have an increased risk of any of the above? Chopping is the norm when you have a super abundance to choose from. The same happens in civvy street. If I have too many candidates I will use all sorts of arbitrary criteria for chopping them.

I sympathise though, I was medically chopped quite a way down the line.

[Maxibon]

I was medically downgraded as a back seater and at the time it was the worst thing that ever happened. I had a one off seizure as a result of way too much pop in the mess one night - went to Wroughton, had a week of endless strobe tests etc all to no avail. Thos clever white coats told me that it was probably because I drank too much that night. No s**t Sherlock. Net result was that I lost my flying cat and career, income, existence and everything else.

Whilst for the following 3 years it took me a long time to get over it, the net result was that I was young enough to start again, get a degree and find other things that interested me and have now had a couple of other interesting avenues to explore including army service and now, an established professional career. Yes the grounding was a nightmare but far better to look back on those times with fond memories rather than regret and an everlasting hatred of all persons of a medical nature. That said and despite my pious tone, I'd still sell my firstborn for another hour of TOO at 250' in the valleys.

[Fg Off Kite]

Maxibon

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