A milestone in
care provision for injured soldiers was reached today (Monday)
with the official opening of the new Army Recovery Centre at
Erskine's Edinburgh Home, Gilmerton.
The state-of-the-art Army Recovery Centre, a dedicated 12 bed
wing of the £8.6 million Erskine Edinburgh Home, is the result of
a partnership between the Army, veterans’ charity Erskine, and
Help for Heroes who together are providing accommodation and
support for soldiers wounded or injured during duty.
This is the first purpose-built Army Recovery Centre to be
launched in the UK. Continuous evaluation of this pathfinder
scheme will show the way to deliver similar services wherever the
need is identified, with planning already underway towards a
second pathfinder facility in Colchester.
The centre has been named Mark Wright House in honour of Corporal
Mark Wright GC who was killed in 2006 in Afghanistan's
Helmand Province when a routine patrol encountered an unmarked
minefield. Mark was posthumously awarded the George Cross in
recognition of the courage he displayed during the incident.
Prior to the new Army Recovery Centre, once patients left
hospital or the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre at Headley
Court, most continued to convalesce at home. However, some
families simply cannot provide the required level of support and
care needed to allow patients to return to duty or gain a smooth
transition to a skilled and supported civilian life.
This purpose-built centre will benefit the Army, allowing
soldiers to continue to recover in a residential environment with
specialised care provided for individual resident needs. Soldiers
will gain from a structured military environment close to existing
garrison facilities including care and rehabilitation, a gym,
career management and counseling. The recovery centre will also
cater for families as they support their loved ones.
Major Jim Panton, Chief Executive of Erskine, said:
"The opening of the new Army Recovery centre is a
momentous day for all involved, not least those soldiers who will
benefit immensely from the purpose-built centre and specialist
facilities provided.
"The Army Recovery Centre will provide the final
recovery and rehabilitation care required for 12 injured soldiers
at a time. Being at the forefront of care provisions, through the
launch of the pilot Army Recovery Centre, is testament to the
dedication and service provided by Erskine over the years, and we
are delighted to be working together with Help for Heroes and the
Army to provide this much needed service."
Under Secretary of State for Defence, Kevan Jones said:
“We are constantly reviewing how best to support our injured
people, and this is an important new initiative. It’s an exciting
model, bringing the MOD, Erskine Homes and H4H together, ensuring
that each organisation can focus on what it does best. It will
help us learn more about this partnership approach for the future,
and how it could fit into the new welfare support package that the
MOD is developing for all service personnel, veterans and their families.”
Chief of the General Staff, General Sir Richard Dannatt, said:
"I am delighted at the launch of this initiative, and am
deeply grateful to Help for Heroes and Erskine Homes for their
valuable assistance with a project that will deliver this
excellent service to our soldiers recovering from injury. I know
that our men and women on the front line already have enormous
faith in the skills and capability of our medical and
rehabilitation services – this scheme will enable a smooth
transition back to duty or to civilian life for those who have
suffered appalling injury in service of their country. We look
forward to seeing this pathfinder scheme informing the development
of this capability across the country.”
Officer Commanding, Major Roddy Sutherland, in charge of the Army
Recovery Centre, said:
"The New Army Recovery Centre in Edinburgh is an
excellent opportunity to provide recovery support for personnel
from the Army, who have been injured whilst on duty. The Residents
of the facility will have access to all the medical and support
staff available within Edinburgh Garrison, which will help develop
them within the military system.”
Bryn Parry, Co-founder and Chief Executive of Help for Heroes,
said:
"I hope that the Edinburgh Pathfinder Army Recovery
Centre will be the first of many, providing our young Servicemen
and women with a launch pad to life and enabling them to learn the
skills necessary for a successful future. We are now well on the
way to raising the £20 million necessary to fund further centres
across the UK to ensure that anyone wounded whilst serving their
country has access to the very best facilities possible.”
Help for Heroes has provided the funding for the centre,
Erskine will provide the facilities management and Hotel Services
for the building whilst the Army will staff the centre with
military personnel to carry out the care and rehabilitation.
ENDS
Notes to editors
About Erskine
Erskine was established in 1916 and has been
providing nursing and medical care for ex-service men and women
helping to re-build their lives. With five homes throughout
Scotland, Erskine has been there through two World Wars, conflicts
and peace keeping initiatives of the twentieth and twenty first
centuries and more recently Afghanistan. Over the past year, the
charity has cared for 1300 veterans between the ages of 24 to 101.
To find out more, visit www.erskine.org.uk
About Help for Heroes
Help for Heroes (H4H) was founded by
Bryn and Emma Parry in October 2007 out of a desire to help the
wounded members of the Armed Forces coming back from Afghanistan
and Iraq. The charity supports the wounded by focusing on raising
funds for the most needed areas both directly and through its
support of other service charities. Overwhelming support from
celebrities, media, the Royal Family and the public has raised
over £26m. Thanks to its trading company the charity is currently
over 98 per cent efficient, meaning 98p of every £1 raised goes
directly towards helping wounded soldiers.
To find out more
visit www.helpforheroes.org.uk
For more information contact Sara Reid in the MoD Scotland Press
Office on 0131 310 2004 or Paul Leat in the MoD Press office on
020 7218 7931
Contacts:
Ministry of Defence
NDS.MOD@coi.gsi.gov.uk