Military covenant 'failing to protect injured veterans'

Military veterans are not being provided with the healthcare service they were promised by the government, say leading medical experts.

The Armed Forces Covenant, which was partly enshrined in law in the Armed Forces Act 2011, states that veterans injured in service should receive priority treatment from the NHS.

The covenant involves an "obligation for life", and says the commitment and sacrifices made by veterans should be properly recognised in the support they receive.

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But professors in psychology and orthopaedics treating injured veterans say ministers are failing to keep their promise.

Professor Neil Greenberg, from the Royal College of Psychiatrists, tells the BBC: "In my view the government needs to be a bit more honest about what it is delivering and just what it says it's delivering, because the two are definitely not the same."

Professor Tim Briggs, a leading orthopaedic surgeon, recently wrote the Chavasse Report, which found that the "system is not currently able to guarantee timely high quality care", with some service personnel and some NHS staff unaware of the covenant.

Since 2001, almost 13,000 service personnel have been medically discharged for musculoskeletal disorders, which includes loss of limbs or problems with ligaments and joints.

Simon Brown, a corporal in the Army for more than ten years, was medically discharged after he was shot in the face by a sniper in 2006. Eight years later, he says he has still not had all the surgery he requires. Brown does not blame the staff, but the system itself which he says involves long processes and "a lot of jumping through hoops".

He insists that better treatment would mean veterans could remains productive members of society. "I see it as: it's actually a good investment to look after these people and give them the support and help they need," says Brown.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said the government had "worked hard to ensure our serving personnel, veterans and families have the support they need and are treated with the dignity they deserve".