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Health Issues

For service families, finding medical and dental facilities can often prove very difficult. Those families who find themselves on training units, at units where there is spare medical capacity or overseas then families may register at the Station Medical Centre. There is however no provision for dental care for families, with the exception of an overseas posting or in the UK for an acute dental emergency where there is no access to NHS facilities.

This haphazard situation leaves most families having to find new medical and dental provision every time they move. Add to this the scarcity of NHS dentists and the different rules applied by different primary care trusts with regard to hospital waiting list and it can become a real problem.

When you move to a new unit it is worth asking, in the first instance, whether or not your family can register at the station medical centre. If the answer is no the NHS website http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk is a good place to start for both medical and dental provision. It carries a wide spectrum of general information and also has a useful search facility for finding health services, GP surgeries, NHS dentists, pharmacies and opticians in the local area by postcode.

Access to medical and dental facilities for RAF families in a hot topic of contention and be assured that the RAF Families Federation will both issues at the highest level. If you have problems accessing dental or medical provision, please let us know so that we can build a case based on evidence.

Contacting the NHS

England: Tel: 0845 4647 (NHS Direct) http://www.nhs.uk
Scotland: Tel: 0845 4 24 24 24 (NHS 24) http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk
Wales: Tel: 0845 46 47 (NHS Direct Wales) http://www.wales.nhs.uk
Northern Ireland Tel: 028 9032 4431 (Ask for Dental Branch): http://www.centralservicesagency.n-i.nhs.uk/

 

 

 

Autism
National Autistic Society (NAS) http://www.nas.org.uk

Blindness
St. Dunstan's http://www.st-dunstans.org.uk provide crucial assistance to ex-Service men and women with very significant loss of sight
Royal National Institute of the Blind http://www.rnib.org.uk

Cancer
Cancer & Leukaemia in Childhood http://www.clic.org.uk
Orchid Cancer Appeal http://www.orchid-cancer.org.uk

Children
Children in Scotland http:// www.childreninscotland.org.uk Promotes policies that improve the quality of life for Scotland's children and their families
The Children's Society http://www.childrenssociety.org.uk The Children’s Society takles the root cause of problems children face by the environment they are shaped by: right to education, youth justice and being safe on streets
Kidscape http://www.kidscape.org.uk/ Kidscape is the registered charity committed to keeping children safe from harm or abuse.

Deafness
Royal National Institute for Deaf People http://www.rnid.org.uk

Diabetes
Diabetes UK http://www.diabetes.org.uk A leading charity working for people with diabetes. It funds research, campaigns and seeks to help people to live with the condition.

Disability
Forces Special Needs & Disability Group http://www.ssafa.org.uk/specialNeeds.html
BLESMA http://www.blesma.org.uk BLESMA is a National Charity for Limbless Ex-Service Men and Women.
Disability Rights http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPeople Disability Right want to help you find out about your rights as a disabled person
Disability Rights Commission
Ability Net http://www.abilitynet.org.uk AbilityNet is a charity that brings the benefits of computer technology to adults and children with disabilities.

Down’s Syndrome
The Down's Syndrome Association http://www.dsscotland.org.uk The Down's Syndrome Association is a membership organisation open to anyone who wishes to join and in particular parents of children or adults with Down's syndrome and their carers.

Epilepsy
National Society for Epilepsy http://www.epilepsynse.org.uk

Learning and Developmental Difficulties
Mencap http://www.mencap.org.uk Mencap works with children and adults with a learning disability and their families and carers
Brainwave http://www.brainwave.org.uk Therapy for Children with Developmental Delay whether caused by Cerebral Palsy, Genetic Disorder or Brain Injury

Capability Scotland. http://www.capability-scotland.org.uk Provides information and reading material on benefits, new therapy treatments, new research, and a wide range of issues relating to disability and, in particular, cerebral palsy

SCOPE http://www.scope.org.uk Scope is a disability organisation in England and Wales whose focus is people with cerebral palsy.
Dyslexi a http://www.bda-dyslexia.org.uk

Meningitis
National Meningitis Trust http://www.meningitis-trust.org.uk

Multiple Sclerosis
The Armed Forces Multiple Sclerosis Support Group http://www.mutualsupport.org.uk

Pregnancy
Having a Baby http://www.ukonline.gov.uk
Tommy’s http://www.tommys.org Tommy's is a charity determined to end the heartache caused by premature birth, miscarriage and stillbirth. They fund a national programme of research, education and information aimed at understanding and preventing these tragedies.

http://www.meningitis-trust.org.uk

 

 

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