§ The Earl of Shrewsburyasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will offer private healthcare to the Armed Forces as part of their employment contract, given the difficulty for servicemen and women in enrolling on National Health Service lists because of frequent relocation; and if not, why not. [HL717]
§ Lord BachThe Ministry of Defence (MoD) has an obligation to ensure that personnel of the Armed Forces have access to appropriate medical care in all circumstances, whether in the UK, at bases abroad, or when deployed on exercises or operations. Primary care is provided by military GPs and civilian medical practitioners employed by the MoD who, in the UK, may refer personnel needing hospital treatment to Minsitry of Defence hospital units (MDHUs), or in some cases, to NHS hospitals which do not host MDHUs. During 2000–01, the MoD supplemented these arrangements with a special waiting list initiative in order to return service personnel in shortage categories to deployability more quickly. For the future, arrangements for medical care are being addressed by a medical quinquennial review, which will be considering, among other things, the most appropriate pattern for hospital care to meet the requirements of the Armed Forces.