The service is confidential, and independent of the chain of command.
Service personnel may be treated in Ministry of Defence Hospital Units, which are part of National Health Service Hospitals in the United Kingdom, in Designated German Provider hospitals in Germany, and in military medical units in Cyprus and Northern Ireland. DMWS Welfare Officers are based in each hospital, providing support which augments that of the patientŐs unit and other military welfare agencies.
The support provided by DMWS Welfare Officers is wide-ranging and flexible. For some patients, a friendly face and a chat can make a huge difference when in hospital a long way from home and family. Others need more comprehensive support, for example in coming to terms with a serious diagnosis, or the possibility that they may be unfit to continue serving in the military. Welfare Officers, who are trained in the use of counselling skills, visit wards regularly to assess patientsŐ welfare needs. Referrals may be made by medical or nursing staff, the patientŐs unit or the patient themself. DMWS manage accommodation for relatives visiting seriously ill patients, and support families during their visit.
Examples of practical support include information on support groups and other agencies, arranging for advance of pay, supplying emergency overnight packs of toiletries and providing portable DVD players and films.
Although not contracted by the MoD to do so, wherever possible and subject to patient priority, DMWS offers similar impartial support to military hospital staff.
Because crises don't always occur during office hours, Welfare Officers maintain a 24-hour on call service for emergencies. The service operates 365 days of the year.
When the Armed Forces deploy on operations, DMWS Welfare Officers form part of the staff of Field Hospitals. Training in a variety of military skills is undertaken on an annual basis to maintain readiness for deployment. All Welfare Officers with an operational role take part in field exercises with military medical units, and those nominated for deployment undertake pre-deployment training with the unit to which they are attached.
On operations, the role of the Welfare Officer includes assisting patients to contact family, providing emergency clothing and overnight packs, advising patients who are being aeromedically evacuated of the facilities available for relatives at the receiving hospital and advising the chain of command on welfare issues. Enemy Prisoners of War and local civilians are treated in exactly the same way as members of our own or allied armed forces whilst in hospital.
In recent years Welfare Officers have served on operations in the Falkland Islands (Operation CORPORATE), The first Gulf War (Operation GRANBY) and Kosovo (Operation AGRICOLA).
Welfare Officers continue to serve in current operational theatres including Northern Ireland (Operation Banner) and Iraq (Operation TELIC).
Full details of the Welfare Officer job description can be found on the Jobs page.