Medical and Dental Care
Since 1996 there have been major changes to health provision in Germany culminating in the formation of the BFG Health Service. The BFG Health Service has contracts with SSAFA for community care and with Guy’s and St Thomas’s Hospitals NHS Trust (GST) for hospital based care.
Primary Health Care services are provided in all Garrisons and Stations similar to that which you would receive from your General Practitioner in the UK. All Medical Centres are staffed by military and civilian GPs, practice nurses, health visitors, midwives, speech therapists, physiotherapists and community psychiatric nurses. SSAFA social workers work in close liaison with the primary health care team. Primary dental services are similarly provided through military and civilian Dental Officers and supporting staffs. Medicines are available from dispensaries attached to Medical Centres that are overseen by Pharmacists.
Following the closure of all Service hospitals in Germany, the BFG Health Service has contracted GST to provide a secondary health care service. GST subcontracted 5 German hospitals - Designated German Provider (DGP) hospitals. These are located at Hannover, Osnabruck, Bielefeld, Paderborn and Viersen (near Rheindahlen). The DGPs provided a high standard of medical care with most of the doctors and many of the nurses speaking English. In addition, Hospital Liaison Officers are employed in the DGPs to assist patients and to overcome any language barrier.
The community paediatric service continues to be provided directly by British Specialists, as doesthe psychiatric service with the BFG Mental Health Hospital Unit located at Wegberg.
The BFG Health Service is provided for all entitled personnel serving in or with British
Forces Germany - Service personnel, United Kingdom Based Civilians and all their Dependants.
The Health Service is free to all, including prescriptions, except for NHS statutory contributions for spectacles. With the exception of Service personnel, everyone is required to pay these statutory contributions for certain dental treatments.
Use of non DGP hospitals. In an emergency you will be taken to the nearest German hospital and the medical bills will be paid by the MOD through the BFG Health Service. If you are travelling away from your duty station in Germany, either on duty or on authorised leave, you may use German Medical facilities for emergencies or urgent medical problems which cannot wait until you return home. These medical bills will also be met by the MOD. However, if you are travelling on leave outside Germany you will have to make your own arrangements for the payment of medical expenses. For countries of the EEC you may be entitled to free treatment if you are in possession of a Form E111 which is obtainable from the Department of Health - application forms are available at Post Offices. Form E111 does not always entitle you to all your medical expenses being met and you are advised to take out medical insurance which, of course, is essential if you are visiting countries outside the EEC.
The changes enable you to have much easier and quicker access to a high standard of health care for the duration of your tour in Germany.
The Services Hospital Welfare Department (SHWD)
The Services Hospital Welfare Department (SHWD) exists in representation of the Joint Committee of the Order of St John and the British Red Cross. SHWD is committed to a patient led, informed and supportive welfare response to all entitled personnel in hospital locations throughout UK, Northern Ireland, Germany and Cyprus. Welfare Officers are trained in counselling skills. The approach is flexible and is offered to all ranks in an impartial arena. They work to a professional code of practice, they are accountable and their work is externally supervised. SHWD has been working with the Military since 1943.
The Role of Welfare Officers:
a. Practical assistance and emotional support in patients.
b. Welfare support to patient's next of kin.
c. 24 hour on Call personal response to a crisis.
d. Liaison with Units and other agencies on behalf of the patient.
e. Integral role in facilitating visits by relatives to listed patients (DILFOR).
f. Secure and monitor relatives welfare accommodation.
g. Support next of kin through the viewing process when a death has occurred.
h. Place flowers on graves in Military Cemeteries in Rheindahlen and Hannover.
How to Contact an SHWD Hospital Welfare Officer:
a. The welfare officers regularly go round the wards.
b. The SHWD offices in the DGPs are personally manned between 0900 to 1030hrs.
c. The hospital liaison officers will refer patient's requests for welfare to SHWD.
d. Leave a message on the office answerphones.
e. In an emergency, via the Medical Centres. There are duty SHWD welfare Officers on Call
24 hours a day.
SSAFA Forces Help Community Nursing Services
All SSAFA Forces Help Community Nurses work within the BFG Health Service. The
Nursing staff comprises of the following:
a. Health Visitors.
b. Midwives.
c. Practice Nurses.
d. Community Psychiatric Nurses.
All of the above work within the Primary Care setting and are based in Medical Centres.
They provide the full range of duties one would reasonably expect from the National Health Service.
The one exception is District Nursing. The Health Visitors are also the designated school nurses. Now that the military hospitals are closed, and we are using Designated German Provider hospitals, the SSAFA Forces Help midwives also work in hospitals providing a British midwifery presence in the labour room.
On arriving in Germany, you should inform your new health visitor or midwife of the address in the UK that you have just left. This will enable us to request your relevant records.