§ Lord Swinfenasked Her Majesty's Government:
What action they are taking to provide medical consultants in dermatology, plastic surgery and ENT surgery for our servicemen and their families stationed in Germany.
§ The Minister of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Gilbert)The dermatology service is normally provided by a British civilian consultant employed by the Health Alliance. He is based at Bielefeld, but conducts clinics at garrison and station medical centres throughout British Forces Germany. However, due to the resignation of the postholder, the service is currently being provided by a UK civilian locum consultant who visits Germany for one week every month and conducts out-patient clinics in all regions.
A military consultant in plastic surgery from the Defence Secondary Care Agency makes regular visits at three-monthly intervals to Germany to provide out-patient clinics for Service personnel and their families. Work is in hand to reduce the period between visits to two months. An alternative means of delivering the service is being investigated to facilitate this. If surgery is recommended, arrangements are made for the patients to receive this either at the Royal Hospital Haslar or at a designated German provider hospital. Should urgent treatment be required, the patients would be referred to the nearest appropriate German hospital or evacuated to the UK.
ENT consultants are provided by the five designated German provider hospitals as a part of the latter's 46WA contracts with the Health Alliance. In addition, a British consultant is currently employed by the Health Alliance to provide an out-patient service in the Rhine region because the designated German provider hospital in that area was originally unable to meet the level of demand. However, with effect from 17 December, the hospital will be able to deliver the required service and, as a result, the British consultant will no longer be required. Consequently, all ENT patients will be referred direct from GPs to German consultants at the appropriate designated German provider hospital.
§ Lord Swinfenasked Her Majesty's Government:
What steps they are taking to ensure that an emergency ophthalmology service is available at all times for all our servicemen and their families stationed in Germany.
§ Lord GilbertService personnel and their families in Germany who require emergency ophthalmology treatment are referred to the nearest German hospital which is able to provide the necessary high standard of care.