How We Work
Were you to be admitted to a Ministry of Defence Hospital Unit (MDHU) in the UK, a Designated Provider Hospital (DGP) in Germany or a Field Hospital in an area of conflict, you would receive a high standard of care from the Defence Medical personnel. However if you were to require practical or emotional assistance at any time, DMWS staff would be the people you turn to.
DMWS is the only organisation to offer a 24 hour welfare service and, our work as part of the Military hospital structure enables us to act as an interface between patients, Military personnel and all other civilian and Service agencies. The distinctive blue or black uniform worn by all welfare officers plus regular visits to wards, outpatients departments and Service establishments make the welfare staff highly visible and identifiable and enable us to provide continuity and reassurance wherever it is needed.
The trust we have established with Service personnel and their families is based on our position in the Service community as a reliable and effective agency that really understands the Military way of life.
The support provided by our staff is wide ranging and flexible and can include functions as diverse as:
- Practical and emotional hospital in-patient and relative support
- 24 hour response to crisis with patient/relative
- Liaison and interface with Service Units, Stations and Ships
- Liaison with Unit Welfare Officers, Station Medical Officers, Garrison Commanders, etc
- Interface with all other support agencies, both Military and civilian
Personnel work all hours and departments, both clinical and non clinical, provide total and holistic care to patients admitted with life threatening injuries. DMWS personnel play a valuable part in this holistic intervention, understanding the specific needs of Service personnel and their families and having well established links with Regimental Families Officers, Military doctors and Chaplains. These links have become even stronger for the DMWS staff based at the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine (RCDM) in Birmingham. Aware of the necessity to provide adequate cover to reflect the increase in numbers of patients aeromeded to RCDM from Iraq and Afghanistan, DMWS are now working to optimum capacity. They interact constantly with ward staff, relatives and appropriate members of the Service community to ensure both practical and emotional care and wellbeing of the Service patient returning from deployment.
As all welfare officers are contracted to deploy, DMWS staff sometimes find themselves in uncomfortable surroundings but, whether on exercise or operations, they have a key role as an integral component of the Military Field Hospital. Once a Field Hospital is put on notice to deploy, DMWS welfare officers are posted onto the strength of the hospital and work to the Military chain of command; a unique arrangement for a civilian organisation. On operations, the role of the welfare officer is extremely diverse and includes necessities such as assisting patients to contact family, providing emergency clothing and overnight packs, advising aeromed patients on the facilities available for relatives at the receiving hospital and advising the chain of command on welfare issues.
Welfare Officers take the view that they are there to serve the Military community and that no problem is too large or small that they cannot help. We willingly share the dangers and risks that the rest of our community face – to do our job we have to be with our patients wherever they happen to be.
Full details of the Welfare Officer Job description can be found on the jobs page.
