§ Mr. ViggersTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the policy is for fast-tracking of service personnel for medical treatment(a) in Ministry of Defence hospital units and (b) elsewhere. [2862]
§ Dr. MoonieService patients are mainly treated in Ministry of Defence Hospitals Units (MDHUs), in other NHS hospitals as NHS patients, or in Defence Secondary Care Agency (DSCA) directly managed units (DMUs) in the UK and overseas. The British Forces Germany Health Service provides secondary care for service personnel in Germany where there are generally no waiting lists.
The DSCA has set waiting time targets for the treatment of patients from the armed forces in its DMUs and MDHUs. The contracts between MDHUs and their host NHS trusts include financial payments to encourage trusts to achieve these. The contracts also allow service personnel needed for operational deployment to receive a priority out-patient opinion. In addition, contracts were placed last year with independent sector health care providers to treat service personnel in shortage categories to relieve overstretch. Referrals under these contracts ceased in March 2001. Planning has recently been approved for another rapid treatment initiative.
Military personnel referred to NHS hospitals outwith MDHU arrangements are treated in accordance with NHS waiting times on the basis of clinical need.