CONSERVATIVE POLICY ON DEFENCE MEDICAL SERVICES

Peter Viggers, Member of Parliament for Gosport, said today:

“ I have spoken recently to Dr Liam Fox, Conservative Shadow Secretary of State for Health, who tells me that he is pursuing the issue of Defence Medical Services. For the record, he has already made a press statement as follows:

‘ I am profoundly concerned about the deficiency of doctors, nurses and other staff in Defence Medical Services. There is an overall shortfall in manning, but the situation is most serious in the key specialities of general surgery, orthopaedic surgery, general medicine and anaesthetics, with alarming shortfalls against establishment ranging to up to three-quarters. For example, there are 18 General Surgeons when there should be 44, and 23 Anaesthetists when there should be 120.

It is quite clear that the policy assumed by the Labour Government in the Strategic Defence Review has failed. This involved the closure of the Royal Hospital Haslar, which is the only remaining Ministry of Defence hospital, and the creation elsewhere (later identified in Birmingham) of a so-called Centre of Defence Medicine.

We believe that the situation is far too serious for the present strategy to remain unchallenged. On behalf of the Conservative Party, I commit that an incoming Conservative will review all aspects of the operation of Defence Medical Services, including the closure of the Royal Hospital Haslar. Our determination is to ensure that the men and women of our Armed Forces have the very best medical support in all their activities, and for this a well-trained and motivated Defence Medical Service is essential.’ ”