Downing Street announces improvements for Veterans

The announcement of the Murrison Review into prosthetic provision for veterans, undertaken on behalf of the Prime Minister by Dr Andrew Murrison MP, is warmly welcomed by BLESMA - the Limbless Veterans.  With its experience and knowledge of the prosthetic issues and challenges faced by its Members throughout their lives BLESMA asked the Government to review how high standard prosthetic equipment could continue to be made available to amputee veterans about to leave the Armed Forces - where they would have received excellent prosthetic equipment and support from DMRC Headley Court - and how such equipment and support could be provided for veterans of earlier conflicts who deserve nothing less.

BLESMA has been properly consulted and their experience and advice about possible solutions has been listened to.  BLESMA feels they are close to the prosthetic community, which has long striven to support all amputees - and particularly veterans injured in service - against a backdrop of low funding vulnerable to local resource issues (the so called postcode lottery).  They believe the recommendations envisaged whereby a number of prosthetic centres will be selected to provide special expertise and will be furnished with specific funding, will be seen as an exciting and challenging prospect and they stand ready to play their full part.  This is in a significant step in prosthetic provision for veterans, which will certainly generate knock on benefits to all who need such support from the NHS.  However modern battlefield injury poses real prosthetic challenges - neither BLESMA nor the NHS will ever have an opportunity to become complacent as we support and care for those who have lost limbs in the service of our country.

Jerome Church, General Secretary of BLESMA, added, “We do pay tribute to the military medical services for the care and support for amputees injured in recent conflicts.  As our young veterans move on into the civilian world we are increasingly confident that the NHS will be able to provide the support - particularly in the area of prosthetics - which they will need for the rest of their lives.  We believe such support is a national responsibility and BLESMA and other service charities expect such support to be sustained.  In this respect we pay tribute in particular to COBSEO - The Confederation of Service Charities, and to Help for Heroes for their energetic and tireless support in this long campaign."
 
To read the report in full and the Department of Health Press Release, please click on the following links to open:

 
DoH Press Release: NEW NHS TREATMENT CENTRES FOR MILITARY HEROES
 
Murrison report: A BETTER DEAL FOR MILITARY AMPUTEES
 
 
BLESMA is an armed forces charity – click here to see how BLESMA champions the interests of its limbless members. Click here to donate to BLESMA and support our troops. Click here to read about the commitment of the British Armed Forces abroad and about the soldiers injured that need our support.