15.1 | Civilian
personnel
would be
needed for a sedentary job in the UK … Unfortunately individuals
with Type 1
or Type 2
diabetes … and individuals who have severe allergies cannot be
deployed.” 472
738.
The November
2005 version of the FCO terms and conditions for postings to
Iraq
advised
that the FCO had contracted a private company, Frontier Medical, to
provide
primary
health care services at posts in Iraq.473
Secondary
care was managed by
International
SOS using the 24‑hour FCO Healthline. Close protection personnel
were
all first
aid trained.
739.
The terms and
conditions stated: “The onus is on you to behave responsibly
whilst
at post
with regard to your own health, in order to make sure you are as
fit as possible at
all times.”
Failure to act on the advice of the OSM, security personnel or
Frontier Medical
would be
dealt with in a “firm manner”.
740.
On 16 February
2006, the FCO Human Resources Directorate (HRD)
reviewed
procedures
for hostile environment training and medical clearance in response
to
“concerns
that some FCO personnel on posting to, or visiting, Iraq are not
capable of
meeting the
physical requirements”.474
Officials
agreed a number of procedural changes,
including
new requirements that:
•
the FCO
Medical Examiner would confirm whether an officer was fit to go to
Iraq
before, not
after, the posting board made the appointment; and
•
hostile
environment course instructors would comment on whether an
officer
was fit to
deploy.
741.
On 26
February, Mr Robert Gibson, Deputy Head of Mission at the
British Embassy
Baghdad,
expressed concern about civilian staff already at post: “We judge
subjectively
that their
fitness levels are low and their lack of speedy mobility might pose
a danger to
themselves
and others.” 475
742.
In June 2006,
as part of its review of the security of staff and missions in
Iraq, the
IPU updated
Sir Michael Jay on the measures in place to assess the health
of FCO staff
before,
during and after deployment to Iraq:
•
All
potential applicants were required to complete a pre‑posting
fitness
questionnaire.
Their applications would not be processed until
occupational
health
doctors had confirmed applicants’ suitability.
•
Successful
applicants were required to attend hostile environment
training.
If the
course organisers had concerns about an individual’s ability to
cope with
“extreme
conditions”, the posting could be cancelled.
472
Paper PJHQ,
July 2005, ‘Defence Instructions and Notices: Pl 70‑05: Short
Operational Tours (SOTs) –
Appointments
on Behalf of Chief of Joint Operations (CJO)’.
473
Paper
[unattributed], 25 November 2005, ‘Terms and Conditions: Temporary
Duties to Iraq’.
474
Minute IPU
[junior official], 16 February 2006, ‘Iraq Hostile Environment
Training & Medical Clearance:
Record of
the Meeting Held on 16 February 2006’.
475
Email
Gibson to [FCO junior official], 26 February 2006, ‘Staff: fitness
levels’.
369