Blair govt accused of neglecting wounded troops

LONDON: Families of British soldiers wounded while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan have accused the Tony Blair government of failing to give proper care to its troops, many of whom suffer from post-trauma stress.

A series of letters from soldiers' families passed on to The Observer by "alarmed senior military sources" claim that troops have been deprived of adequate pain relief and emotional support.

One letter sent to the MoD and NHS managers reveals how the youngest British soldier wounded in Iraq, Jamie Cooper, was forced to spend a night lying in his own faeces after staff at Birmingham's Selly Oak Hospital allowed his colostomy bag to overflow.

An open letter by families of dead soldiers, politicians, leading figures in the arts and entertainment, published in Independent on Sunday, accused Blair of breaking the "military covenant" and neglecting "the young men and women who carry out your orders."

Signatories include playwright Harold Pinter, campaigner Bianca Jagger, Sir Menzies Campbell, leader of the Liberal Democrats, and MPs Peter Kilfoyle and Ben Wallace.

"Servicemen and women are receiving insufficient treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder," it says.

The Sunday Times reported that veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan suffering flashbacks, trauma and panic attacks are being told to wait 18 months or longer for treatment on the National Health Service.

One charity, Combat Stress, says it is being overwhelmed with ex-servicemen who have been unable to get treatment on the NHS.

It says that the number suffering trauma has doubled in six months, as soldiers in Britain's overstretched forces are sent back to combat zones without enough time to recuperate.