Hip & Knee Joint Replacement on the NHS.
Priority for UK Armed Forces Veterans
VETERANS - IMPORTANT INFORMATION IF YOU ARE AWAITING A JOINT REPLACEMENT
As a Veteran, you can ask for a referral to a specialist Orthopaedic Clinic at the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital where there is a specialist Veterans Clinic run by Lt Col Carl Meyer. In one case a colleague applied for a referral on 16 March, and on 3 May had a hip replacement, a total wait of just over 6 weeks. If you don't mind a few days away from the family, he assures us that it is more like a hotel than a hospital, with really good food. If you have a long wait ahead of you at your local hospital, this might be the quickest way to achieve a result.
What is it? A service for Military Veterans to have their hip or knee arthritis assessed and, if appropriate, have joint replacement surgery, a service that is led by Lt Col Carl Meyer, who specialises in such areas. Lt Col Meyer is an Army Reserve officer who has been on three tours to Afghanistan and one to Iraq. He is an Orthopaedic Trauma Surgeon with 16 Medical Regiment, 202 (Midlands) Field Hospital.
It is a service available for anyone who has been in regular military service, including national service. The service is centred on The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital, NHS Foundation Trust (RJAH), Oswestry, Shropshire, SY10 7AG. A centre of orthopaedic excellence specialising in lower limb replacement surgery. Outpatients clinics are held fortnightly, normally on a Wednesday.
HOW TO ACCESS IT:-
You must ask your GP to refer you to the VETERANS HIP & KNEE SURGERY SERVICE at Oswestry making sure that he specifically mentions Lt Col Meyer and ask your GP to include the NHS Issue code for military veterans AND your service number in the referral letter.
Your records at your GP need to be annotated with the NHS issued codes for military/veterans, take photocopies of your discharges book/certificate, you will be asked for proof that you are a Veteran.
Military Medical Codes:
13J1 Military Veteran
13JY History relating to Military Service
13qo History relating to Army Service
13q1 History relating to RN Service
13q2 History relating to RAF Service
13q3 Served in the Armed Forces
Contact Information:
E-mail: rebecca.ann.jones@rjah.nhs.uk
Fax: 01691 404067
Tel: 01691 404344
IMPORTANT:-
You should all apply to the MOD under the Freedom of Information Act for your FULL Military Service Records (and, in the Comments Box, ask to include your Medical Records). You should have done this as soon as you were discharged. It is a FREE service. There will be reams of computer print-outs which you then keep in a clip file.
https://www.gov.uk/get-copy-mili…/apply-for-your-own-records
Lt Col Meyer wants to carry out more operations for Veterans, but he has two problems:
1. Finding the patients and
2. Getting the money from the NHS.
However, the more operations he performs, the more money the NHS will give him, which means the more procedures he can perform.
If you are members of other military Facebook sites/Websites/Discussion Boards, then please copy this to them and let as many Veterans know about this brilliant service that's just for them.
It's about time we Vets received something back for our years of loyal service.
Lt Col Carl Meyer
Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon
Type of Work:
NHS Telephone No: 01691 404344
Clinical/Research Interests: Lower Limb arthroplasty-hip and knee. Young adult hip and knee arthroscopy.
Qualifications: MB ChB, MRCS Eng, MSc Orth, FRCS Tr & Orth Appointments: 2011 rjah and RSH Speciality: Hip & Knee Replacement
Treatment Outcomes: http://njrsurgeonhospitalprofile.org.uk/SurgeonProfile?gmccode=4309655 Other information:
Qualified from the University of Birmingham. Joined the army as an orthopaedic SHO and served in the Gulf war. Joined parachute regiment and was awarded parachute wings. Then went to Middlesbrough as an SHO. Came to RJAH on the Oswestry training rotation in 2005. He has also done a tour of duty in Afghanistan
There is a service for military veterans to have their hip or knee arthritis assessed and, if appropriate have joint replacement surgery. We understand that the service is led by Lt Col Carl Meyer, Military Consultant Hip and Knee Arthroplasty Surgeons at Oswestry’s Specialist Orthopaedic Hospital. Lt Col Meyer is a regular serving officer who is an Orthopaedic Trauma surgeon with 16 Medical Regiment Colchester. The service is open to anyone who has been in regular military service, including National Service. It is based at the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (RJAH), Oswestry, Shropshire; a centre of Orthopaedic excellence specialising in lower limb replacement surgery. To obtain an NHS referral please ask your GP to make a named referral to Lt Col Meyer at the Veterans Hip & Knee Surgery Service in Oswestry.
Contact info: Email Rebecca.ann.jones@nhs.uk Tel: 01691 404344. Veterans Hip and Knee Surgery Service
New guidance for GPs on health care for veterans The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP), The Royal British Legion and Combat Stress have launched guidance to support GPs in identifying and meeting the healthcare needs of veterans more effectively - including accessing the priority treatment to which all veterans are entitled for Service-related conditions. Their jointly-produced guidance for GPs looks at how best to care for veterans' physical and mental health after they have left the Forces and rejoined civilian life. It provides useful advice on medical records and accessing priority treatment, along with dedicated sections including mental health needs, health behaviours, the provision of prostheses and hospital waiting lists. On the priority treatment to which all veterans are entitled for Service-related conditions, BAFF has assisted members to inform their medical practitioners about this inadequately publicised entitlement. BAFF included this point in their evidence to a House of Commons Defence Committee Inquiry in 2007: PRIORITY NHS TREATMENT FOR WAR PENSIONERS 27. War pensioners and equivalent are supposed to be entitled to "priority NHS treatment" for the condition for which their pension was awarded. There are two problems with this provision. Firstly, many NHS staff are unaware of it, and it seems likely that awareness will diminish as time goes on. Secondly, priority "is a matter for clinical judgement based on clinical need which means that the case with the greatest clinical need will receive precedence" (MoD 2007). Since the prime criterion is clinical need, and NHS staff are also required to apply numerous targets none of which include "care for veterans", the priority entitlement appears in reality to be virtually meaningless. The situation has improved since then with the extension of the entitlement to the treatment of all Service-related conditions even if the veteran is not in receipt of pension for that condition. Awareness amongst health professionals has also improved. The new guidance for GPs produced by the RCGP, The RBL and Combat Stress is a great step forward and we commend it to practitioners. RCGP News: New guidance produced to help GPs support veterans' healthcare needs more effectively RCGP: Meeting the Healthcare needs of Veterans - download the guidance here SPVA: Priority NHS Healthcare for Veterans - includes links to the relevant health circulars for England, Scotland and Wales BFBS News 22 Sep 2010: New guidelines for treating veterans
The Robert Jones & Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
