Defence Medical Services - what's left?
 

Where were the military hospitals, and what state are they in now?

Ely - partly demolished, but taken over by East Cambs and Fenland PCT as Princess of Wales hospital.
Halton - still owned by the MOD? Empty (gutted?) falling into disrepair.
Haslar - still open but for disposal, with development planned for site.
Nocton Hall - closed 82, closed after USAF use 95, identified for disposal, roof collapsed after arson attack 2004.
Wroughton - closed 96, presumably demolished as site now a housing development.

So which were the others?

Headley Court? Wegberg? Cambridge (Aldershot) and Princess Louise Margaret (Aldershot - where I was born!)?

I wonder how many survive (even if closed), and remain on MoD land. And which, like Halton, could be resurrected given the money and the will?

And how about the various service nursing organisations?

Jacko
 

Suddenly there was a deafening silence, which provides a perfect answer to your question! My, wasn't DCS 15 a great idea? (and that was a tory one, just to show I'm not biased!)

Regards

Ginseng

All that's left is MDHU Peterborough, Birmingham, Portsmouth and the physios at Headley court.

There are other centres for medicine and nursing but those are where you'll get treatment as a patient.

Just for you here is the DMS website address........Defence Medical Services........

And the MDHUs are military manned units embedded in civilian hospitals, yes?

Headley Court is still the centre for rehabilitation but there are quite a few RRC (Regional Rehabilitation Centres) located on large military units around the country. RAF Honnington has one I believe, as do a few other RAF units and a whole host of Army ones.

I was ousted from Headley Court the other year when most of the service posts were civilianised for cost-cutting reasons but as my one post was replaced by 2 CS ones (non-industrial and industrial) I can't see how that much money was saved, especially as they also had to bring in MPGS to take over the guarding commitment.:ugh:

Yes, that is correct.

You really are a REMF......................:cool:

Not necessarily even a self contained military unit. There may be military and civillian staff working together treating the same set of patients. The patients they treat could also be a mix of military and civvy.

Well done. The 'stacker' part of my name has obviously alluded you thus far.:ugh: Although with previous infantry service and a few hairy dets (not the "oh my hotel room doesn't have a mini-bar" type) since being a 'REMF' I like to think of myself as a previously teethy REMF.

You're not in Int by any chance are you or perhaps being so scorning of REMF's you are actually an underwater knife fighting specialist with Walt clearance?

The Defence Medical Services Department is an important part of the Ministry of Defence responsible for the clinical welfare of all UK forces.:O Following an initiative to implement a structured healthcare and rehabilitation strategy based around a single tiered health record, there was a need to reassess the increase in capability of healthcare that could be gained and the necessary pneumthorax process change associated with further investment in medical Healthcare.:ok:
It is important to understand the tamponade processes change, that was necessary to elicit and structure the existing pachydactyly in the areas of preventative and curative medicine and then assess the suitability of the potential options to support the Armed Forces. The MOD's solution undertook a stakeholder analysis followed by series of structured interviews employing a hauerite process modelling methodology:{ . The interviews were followed up with a series of workshops to assess and agree the benefits that would be gained from health changes supported by civillian Health authorities. Following this the areas for necessary healthcare changes were highlighted and prioritised.
The obvious benefits of this system included;
1. Clearly defined roles in the healthcare programme of the Forces were agreed.
2. Doctors and Nurses were enabled to ectocrine the opportunities and expected benefits for a number of healthcare strategies.
3. Organisational ichthyosis, healthcare needs and current capability levels in the departments and hospitals under the Defence Medical Services Department were revealed.
So you see that is why all the Military hospitals closed.;)

Tampons and elephants?

I think you can probably still get an aspirin or two at Brize - if you make an appointment far enough ahead......

And you left Nocton Hall off the list, Jacko!

Thanks, BEags!

It was all to safeguard investment in the frontline, of course.....

and it took into account the number of personnel deployed.....

"Defence Medical Services

1. The Defence Costs Study generated considerable change to the size and shape of the Defence Medical Services. Two fundamental criteria are being used to guide their re-organisation which, when complete, will save over £500 million over the next ten years:


The standard of medical care provided to the armed forces should be equal to the best provided under the National Health Service.

The size of the uniformed medical service should be based on assessments of the number of personnel required to deploy with our front-line forces.

2. Primary care in the armed forces remains the responsibility of the single Services. It will be provided by the most cost-effective combination of the Department's military and civilian resources, the National Health Service and the private health care sector.

3. One recommendation of the Defence Costs Study was the formation of new defence medical Agencies. From May, secondary care will be managed as a tri-Service Defence Agency, headed by a Chief Executive who reports to the Surgeon General. Secondary care for the armed forces in the United Kingdom is centred on a single tri-Service hospital at Haslar in Gosport. This is complemented by a continuing presence at the Duchess of Kent Hospital at Catterick and by Service medical staff working in three new Ministry of Defence Hospital Units at National Health Service district general hospitals at Derriford in Plymouth, Frimley Park in Surrey and Peterborough in Cambridgeshire.

4. The Princess Mary's Hospital in Cyprus and the Defence Services Medical Rehabilitation Centre at RAF Headley Court have also been incorporated into the secondary care agency. The closure of the Queen Elizabeth Military Hospital at Woolwich was brought forward to September, when the hospital was transferred to the National Health Service. The Princess Mary RAF Hospital at Halton, the Cambridge Military Hospital at Aldershot and the Princess Alexandra RAF Hospital at Wroughton all closed earlier this year.

5. In Germany, as a result of market testing, secondary health care arrangements for our forces and primary care for the Army are being implemented by The Health Alliance, formed from staff of the Defence Medical Services, the Soldiers' Sailors' and Airmen's Families Association health services and the Guy's and St Thomas's Hospital National Health Service Trust. In future, secondary health care will be provided in areas designated for Service personnel and their dependants in German civilian hospitals located close to Army camps and RAF stations. As a result of these changes, the two Service hospitals at Wegberg and Rinteln will close.

6. Significant savings have been achieved through the rationalisation of medical training under a Director General Medical Training. The resultant Defence Medical Training Organisation is being reviewed for agency status. A medical supplies Agency responsible for the provision of medical equipment and drugs and arrangements for blood transfusion was launched in March. And dentists from all three Services have been brought into a single, tri-Service Agency which was also launched in March.

7. Wherever possible, opportunities will continue to be taken to rationalise property. The need for the Royal Defence Medical College to be sited at Millbank is being examined."

Haslar's closure needs to be cancelled, and Halton, as the one remaining hospital still owned by the MoD, needs to be rescued from its slide into dereliction and re-opened. Two military hospitals doesn't seem excessive for today's pace of operations, and I'm sure that the local NHS trusts would welcome the extra capacity for civilian patients.

Defence Medical Services - what's left?
 

Memories and wishes:{

An intriguing hospital was Bighi in Malta. Although we had left a number of years before, the hospital at Bighi was still empty and derelict in 1998.

On an Island with a severe land shortage it was notable how many ex-military sites were abandoned. The barracks and quarters at Tigne beach were only then being used as emergency accommodation for migrants. The hospital OTOH was still deserted. Windows wide open, the huge doors agape.

It was as if we had just left the day before.

Copy of Angling Times in the post!!:cool:

MOG

Drove past Wroughton the other day (my daughter was born there ), and it is now completely gone and has been replaced by a housing development and a conference centre.all that remains are the quarters which I believe have been sold off...:bored:

There was also a Naval hospital in Gibraltar.

I don't know why we do not use some of the excellent American medical facilities that are in the UK.

At least our servicemen would be among other servicemen.

And wasn't there one at Cosford?? Or did the nurses that frequented Ternhill come from elsewhere?? :E

One had ones appendix out at Woolwich Military Hospital. Remember ward rounds were scary with large moustachioed Brigadier CO, accompanied by even scarier, larger and only slightly less moustachioed full Colonel QA matron.. Bedside conversation went thus:

Brig: Ah, Sqn Ldr Teeters, what are you in for?
Teteers: Appendicectomy Sir!
Brig: And how old are you?
Teeters: 39 Sir.
Brig: 39! Harrumph! Should have had your appendix out years ago!

:confused: :confused: :confused:

There are a total of 6 MDHU's. They are at:

MDHU Birmingham (part of the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine), Selly Oak Hospital, University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust

MDHU Derriford, Derriford Hospital, Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust

MDHU Frimley Park, Frimley Park Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

MDHU Northallerton, Friarage Hospital, South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust

MDHU Peterborough, Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

MDHU Portsmouth, Queen Alexandra's Hospital, Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust

As well as getting Service staff at these locations the trusts are paid an annual retainer to accelerate military patients up the waiting list.

You all missed Stonehouse in Plymouth off the list:{