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Written question asked by Julian Lewis (Conservative) on Tuesday, 7 June 2016, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 15 June 2016 (named day). It was answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton (Conservative) on Wednesday, 15 June 2016 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

Armed Forces: Discharges

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the average length is of the transition period for personnel of each of the Armed Forces between a decision of the Medical Board recommending discharge and that discharge taking place; and what support is given to personnel during that period to support the transition to civilian life.

Answer

This information is not held in the format requested. However, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) does hold information on the average length of time between attendance at a medical board and the date of medical discharge for UK Regular Armed Forces personnel.

For those UK Regulars discharged between 1 April 2010 and 31 March 2015, the median averages are as follows:

Service

Median average number of days between a medical board and subsequent medical discharge

Royal Navy

132

Royal Marines

133

Army

223

Royal Air Force

173

Those who are medically discharged are entitled to the highest level of resettlement provision through the Career Transition Partnership (CTP), regardless of how long they have served or the nature and cause of injuries. We also offer specialised support for wounded, injured and sick personnel and those with the most complex barriers to employment to ensure they receive the most appropriate support within their recovery pathway. This is delivered through the Defence Recovery Capability and is supported by the Career Transition Partnership Assist (CTP Assist) programme. The purpose of CTP Assist is to deliver an individualised, needs-based service to those Service personnel who face the greatest barriers to employment given their medical condition.

The MOD Veterans’ Welfare Service (VWS) provides welfare support automatically to those medically discharged, with an 'on request' service for all other members of the veterans community.

The Transition Protocol is an established practice to ensure the effective transition of health and social care for injured Service leavers to local public providers. There is regular and close co-operation between the MOD, the Department of Health, NHS England and the Devolved Administrations in order to ensure that it is working successfully.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
39646
Session
2016-17
Subjects
Armed forces Discharges
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk