Many vets say NHS meets their needs
Yesterday the Government announced the results of its much vaunted audit of nuclear test veterans’ health needs.
In total 891 questionnaires were sent out to veterans and some 630 were returned, a response rate of 71%. In addition 84 individuals took part in eight discussion groups which took place around theUK.
According to the survey which was paid for by the MoD at a cost of £75,000, most veterans felt their needs were being met well by the NHS, though there were some concerns expressed about access to social care services.
Veterans made a number of suggestions including how communication with the MoD could be improved and the provision of better information about the nuclear tests.
While it’s good that veterans’ heath needs are looked after, the fact that they believe the NHS is meeting their health needs says nothing about whether those needs came about as a result of radiation from nuclear testing.
Of course the living conditions and services for veterans should always be refined and improved, but doing so does not remove the need for the Government to accept responsibility for putting some of these veterans in harms way in the first place.
The court battle between veterans and the MoD will continue.
The NHS cannot be blamed for the lack of treatment to Nuclear Veterans as this lies firmly and squarely at the door of the Ministry of Defence.
It is the Ministry of Defence that has prevented Doctors obtaining the blood analysis M-FISH for all nuclear Veterans since 1984.
This blood analysis is reserved for ‘CIVILIAN’ nuclear Workers to determine the problems they have inherited because they worked throughout their lifetime in the nuclear industry.
Not all that long ago 294 Civilian nuclear workers who had retired from the nuclear industry were given the blood analysis. I have suggested nuclear Veterans should also be given the blood analysis and the results matched alongside those retired workers, there is not a lot of age difference between the two groups.
The only difference is the Civilians were receiving small doses of radiation throughout many years of their working life but the Nuclear veterans received a massive dose in a very short period of time. Radiation is accumulative in the human body. Needless to say the Ministry of Defence have not even had the courtesy of replying to my request.
If the Ministry of Defence were genuinely interested in the welfare of nuclear Veterans and desirous to discover the truth, they would organise the blood analysis mentioned. Or is it possible, the Ministry of Defence already know the results would show that nuclear veterans absorbed more radiation in their short periods at the nuclear test sites than the Civilian nuclear Workers received in their entire working life. This would uncover the blatant lies of the Ministry of Defence when they state we would have received more radiation had we remained in the UK.
We were treated as ‘Human Guinea Pigs’ and those individuals who are attempting to cover up the atrocities committed against British Servicemen and their Allies are no better than the likes of Saddam Hussain and Gadaffi when it comes to depriving individuals of their ‘Human Rights’. Saddam and Gadaffi could have argued the atrocities they committed were done on the spur of the moment – the Ministry of Defences atrocities were premeditated and planned. They knew what the consequences would be, and are now attempting to cover up their crimes against humanity!
They will not succeed!
Dave
Well said Dave I was at CI for the 5 1958 tests and have had the same “treatment” frm various Dr’s and officials when requesting info. on my time there,we were used as Guinea Pigs and since then have been treated badly still I am hanging in until things change(73 now).
Rgds
Bernie Baker
Who were you with Bernie? I was with 38 CER, 61 Fd Sqn Royal Engineers.
If you want to swap stories my e-mail address is: dave.whyte@blueyonder.co.uk
Best wishes
Dave
Hi Dave I was with the Royal Marines port London on Landing Craft (LCM’S) we may have even met over a few beers( Amstel or such like) My e-mailaddress is fangsilvertail@yahoo.com.au living in Aussie now (41 Years)
Regards Bernie
Sadly the cancer my Father has had removed this year, which is radiation linked according to Specialists at Nottingham Hospital, was not recognised by our local GP or a Consultant in Derby. Many medical practitioners have no knowledge in this area. Luckily my Father was wrongly referred to a Specialist who recognised straight away what he was looking at, and saved his life.
This involved 6 weeks in Nottingham Teaching Hospital, 3 of which he spent in Critical Care.
After a months break due to his weak state, he has undergone 6 weeks of radical radiotherapy.
So not all the Veterans dealings with the NHS are satisfactory.