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David Cameron backs military care scheme

Sam Marsden,Neil Lancefield
Monday 24 October 2011 17:51 BST
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David Cameron today met British military veterans who have lost limbs serving their country, as the Government announced it is investing up to £15 million to improve NHS care for amputee former service personnel.

Specialist prosthetic and rehabilitation centres will open across the country, the Department of Health said.

The move is in response to a review commissioned after armed forces charities raised concerns that the civilian health service could not support amputee veterans to the same standard provided at the military's Headley Court rehabilitation centre in Surrey, where the Prime Minister met patients and staff this morning.

David Cameron said: "I am passionately committed to our armed forces. As a country and as a Government we have a particular duty to servicemen and women injured on operational duty.

"This report maps out a clear strategy for ensuring that those brave people can be confident they will receive the same levels of access to prosthetic limbs and specialist care from the NHS as they do at Headley Court."

Tory MP and former Royal Navy medical officer Dr Andrew Murrison, who carried out the review, added: "I hope the action points I have offered honour the military covenant and benefit military amputees, but I have been clear that they should also help to improve the service available to all limb centre users."

Working with service charities, the Government will fund the improvements to care for amputee veterans in England and work with the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland on arrangements in the rest of the UK.

PA

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