The Defence Medical Welfare Service
“The Military Injury Claims team has a unique relationship with
staff from the Defence Medical Welfare Service based at the Queen
Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham. Without this relationship, we would
be unable to access injured servicemen and women and provide
advice to assist them with their Personal Accident (PAX) and Armed
Forces Compensation Scheme claims. We are forever grateful to Shelly
and her team and I am sure you will agree from the following article,
the service they provide is absolutely fantastic.”
The Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham
hosts the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine
(RCDM), which receives emergency aeromedical
evacuations from the Armed Forces around the
world. Its all-encompassing welfare includes
Military Liaison Officers, the Padre, SSAFA Norton
House and Fisher House and, rather more quietly,
an organisation known as the Defence Medical
Welfare Service (DMWS).
Here is a special account by Shelly Turton,
Service Delivery Manager at the DMWS.
Before joining the DMWS, my only knowledge of
the service came from a former colleague, who was
a welfare officer for the organisation. I knew they
worked with the military in hospitals and that they
deployed, but I didn’t appreciate the extent of
their efforts until I managed the team first hand.
I’m writing this from our office in Fisher House;
beautifully appointed accommodation for military
patients and their families, where a number of
agencies work together to relieve the burdens of
hospital admission, allowing the patient to focus
on the most important thing: recovery.
It’s first thing in the morning and the daily
handover is taking place – our duty welfare
officer briefing the team on events from the night
before, including any hospital admissions that
have taken place, family that may have booked
in and anything out of the ordinary that requires
attention.
In the meantime, another welfare officer is
checking on a family member staying at Fisher
House. They just want to see how they’re getting
on and to provide reassurance and support to help
them come to terms with their loved one’s injury.
As an organisation we ensure that we keep up to
date with support that can be provided by other
agencies and it is not unusual to see the team
working alongside agencies such as BLESMA, Blind
Veterans UK and the Veterans Welfare Service.
A serving soldier has just visited to collect his wife’s
belongings. Sadly, she never recovered from illness
and passed away. A welfare officer pauses during
an administration task to go and help. It amazes
me how they can move so deftly from seemingly
mundane tasks to supporting people in what may
be their darkest hour.
Welfare and the
needs of the Armed
Forces community are
often misunderstood
and, to my mind,
underappreciated, but
if I was admitted to
hospital, or staying at
Fisher House, I know
I’d welcome the appearance of one of our welfare
officers. I’ve seen them do remarkable things in the
year I’ve worked here, and I couldn’t be prouder to
manage them.
A duty welfare officer is available at RCDM 24
hours a day, 7 days a week.
Paul Weston - Former Captain, Intelligence Corps
Solicitor, Military Injury Claims team
Sheffield office
Paul Weston joined the British
Army and the Intelligence
Corps in 1984 and spent 25
years engaged in intelligence
operations. He developed an
expertise in Human Intelligence
and Surveillance and took part
in a number of operations in
Northern Ireland, Bosnia and
Iraq. He also enjoyed postings
to Cyprus, the United States of
America, New Zealand, Israel,
Dubai and Norway.
Prior to the 2003 war in Iraq, he
had been working closely with
Army Legal Services and saw an
opportunity to develop his skills
further so decided to undertake
a law degree with the Open
University. Paul’s war in Iraq was
cut short however, after he was
injured in a Friendly Fire Incident
- he returned to the UK and was
treated at Selly Oak Hospital in
Birmingham.
Despite his injury, Paul remained
in the Army and in 2006
was commissioned into the
Intelligence Corps as a Captain.
In 2007, after completing his
law degree, he left the Army and
enrolled onto the Legal Practice
Course at Sheffield University.
In September 2010, he began
his training contract at Irwin
Mitchell and undertook a variety
of Personal Injury seats.
Because of his background,
he was able to work closely
with the Military Injury Claims
team and in September 2012,
he successfully qualified as a
solicitor.
For general enquiries
0808 291 3524
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