Military Hospitals
 

From today's Daily Telegraph Obituaries:

"Surgeon Vice-Admiral Sir Godfrey Milton-Thompson

Milton-Thompson was Surgeon-General of the Armed Forces at the Ministry of Defence from 1988 to 1990. With responsibility for all three services’ medical needs, he fought for the retention of dedicated military hospitals, which were under threat from cost-cutting measures. His pleas to save four dedicated hospitals — at Catterick, Plymouth, Portsmouth and Wroughton near Swindon — went unheeded. Eventually all such hospitals (around 20) were closed down, to be replaced by “military hospital departments” in NHS hospitals."

What a tragedy. Surely the proximity of Wroughton to Lyneham and Brize Norton, with fast transit by helicopter or road, coupled with the outstanding facilities and professional medical care, made it the best choice for expediting the treatment of our repatriated forces.

Vale Admiral Milton-Thompson; God Bless you for your valiant efforts.

Especially as the Aeromed unit was based at Wroughton.

And the very last one (Akrotiri) has just closed ..........:(

Yep, let's close them down. In any case they're only really needed when there's a war on...........er.........

And the basket-weaving wing.

A close relative of mine authored the report recommending that Wroughton be retained and Ely be closed. He was told by their Airships to go away and rewrite it such that Wroughton be closed and Ely kept. :hmm:

Do we have to revive this discussion, it's been done before on here. To reiterate you would need a military hospital of at least 800 beds to be viable in terms of scale of economies and staffing. Staffing being the most important.

The present poly trauma patient being admitted into the QE, requires so many teams of clinicians of all specialities it's untrue, then that does not account for all the support behind the scenes.

This is 22 years on, it happened, move forward not backwards, look at the work being done in Bastion and the QE, lets be proud of what Defence Medical Services are doing. The old system today would not be fit for purpose, it did not have the depth of services required and still had to use agreements with the NHS.

Regards

Air pig ex PMRAFNS.

... but that's the way they work! In the early 90s in MoD I was involved in staffing the re-location of the Single RCC (Rescue Co-ordination Centre).

Northwood was obvious choice; modern comms meant it could be anywhere, clear advantages to co-location with PJHQ and (then) HQ 11/18 Gp.

"Starred" answer?

"Nah - we've just closed the SAR Flight at Leuchars - you've got to put it in Scotland!"

Happy memories of service hospitals. Went out with a nurse from RAF Hospital Akrotiri, married a midwife from BMH Hong Kong, recuperated in BMH Catterick after I wrote my first car off, and my first son was born in RAF Hospital Ely in 1971. All exist in different forms now.

Just to show how times change, when I took my wife who had started labour to Ely we were met at the door of the maternity ward by a very brisk and efficient PMRAFNS sister. "Thank you Flying Officer Tankertrash, you can go home now and we'll ring you when it's time to come in see your new baby" None of that father being present at the birth then and I can't say I've ever felt deprived by not being there!

As Barksdale Boy posted a few months ago:

Was a VR(T) member of Ely Officers Mess 70-72. Good fun.

TTN - my second son delivered by Ceasarian in 1973 in what by then IIRC was an NHS enclave in the RAF Hospital. They did a great job (RIP John D.....e (ex RAF doctor) who delivered him), and the result is the reason I am at present in Copenhagen seeing my son, his Danish wife and my two lovely grandchildren. Thanks Ely.

Wouldn't have missed it for the world :)

Mind you, the second Mrs W and I married 28 years ago, neither of us in the first flush of youth, both for the second time, and me a newly promoted sqn ldr. She has still not got over receiving a letter from RAFH Ely adressed not to Mrs W, but through the GPO mail addressed merely to "w/o Sqn Ldr W", and the address.

A few weeks later was the BPOM Burns Night, I was asked to propose the Toast to the Lasses, and the Chairman was the Command Medical Officer......... Very surprised I made wg cdr!

I think we can all look back with nostalgia but I also recall the Air Commodore who operated on my son at Halton; the Sqd Ldr who replaced him said later; "I wouldn't let that man loose on my dog" and now I know why! At Wroughton they decided my two sons, born 4 years apart, were the same person and destroyed 4 years worth of evidence, I mean records! Foremost in my mind were the PMRAFNS whose loveliness could only be enhanced by a demijon of Kokinelli or a long detachment

Milary Hospitals
 

Had a short stay in one in Belfast in 1953. Daily ration of scotch and Guinness. Very civilised

Milary Hospitals
 

Many, many years ago, when I wore a light blue uniform, I was involved in a road accident near RAF Leeming and was taken to the Station Sick Quarters where I was quickly patched-up and sent by road to the army hospital at Catterick. On the way there my imagination went into overdrive regarding my injuries (which turned out to be relatively minor) but my fears were not helped when, upon arrival at Catterick, an army medic leaned over me a casually asked "can I have the name and address of your next-of-kin".

During my short stay at Catterick hospital, I sadly watched a female major, wearing one of those early 20th century nursing uniforms, reduce a young nurse to tears in the middle of the ward. I hope things have improved since then.

Tankertrashnav. I was born at Ely in 1971 - you my daddy??

The first two of the three children of my first marriage were born at Nocton Hall under the auspices of the terrifying Sister Strange. Fathers were tolerated, but barely. The latter of the two boys of my second marriage was born many years later in Hong Kong and I was present - it was staggeringly beautiful.

Very well put and whilst we all have our memories.... Drifts back to times spent in both RNH Stonehouse and RNH Haslar :ok: (how those nurses put up with us hot blooded sailors deserves a medal)

Times have moved on and as Air Pig has so eloquently described the costs of equipment alone would be horrendous.

To me THE MOST IMPORTANT issues are the next of kin be close to the patient and the nursing staff that look after our sick and injured be service personnel as they MUST have that black service sense of humour.

I will never forget a sailor telling a beautiful nursing sister that he was dying as rigor mortis had started to set in!! We all nearly fell out of our beds with laughter as he demonstrated the outset of this condition :uhoh::uhoh: (His excuse for his behaviour was that he was only just coming round after having his lower leg amputated)

A little harsh! We certainly had some lovelies at TPMH in the early/mid 90's (both Pull My RAF Nickers Sideways & Quick And Ready Never Caught). I ended up marrying one of the Madwives! Happy days.......:E