15.1 | Civilian personnel

• considering the possibility of introducing additional psychological assessments;

• making available a number of counsellors with security clearance; and

• improving Iraq‑specific hostile environment training to include a fitness

assessment.

747. In November, a representative of Frontier Medical in Iraq responded to concerns

expressed by a junior official in DFID about medical fitness requirements.479 He reported

that: “Despite our frequent requests the FCO has still not clarified any set criteria for

medical fitness for deployment to this theatre.” In contrast, DFID had “instigated quite

strict medical assessments prior to deployment … undertaken by an independent

company, who have so far proved to be excellent”.

748. Departments also provided psychological support to civilians deployed to Iraq.

749. On 5 March 2004, Mr Philip Parham, Head of the FCO Iraq Operations Unit (IOU),

sent Sir Michael Jay a contingency plan for the FCO’s response in the event of an attack

that incapacitated the senior UK leadership in Baghdad or resulted in the death or injury

of five or more UK civilian staff in Iraq.480 The plan built on existing FCO procedures.

Objectives included:

“• ensure that all civilian staff in Iraq are promptly informed of what has happened,

what remedial action is being taken, and what services and options are available

to them;

• assess the attack’s psychological impact on staff and advise whether staff

should remain or be withdrawn.”

750. The October 2004 version of the FCO pre‑deployment briefing pack for staff from

all departments and contractors referred to the availability of a trauma risk management

(TRiM) interview for those exposed to “specific events”.481 The briefing also listed the

range of medical and counselling services available, some of them 24 hours a day,

and gave contact details for the information network set up “to inform and support” the

relatives and friends of people serving in Iraq.

751. During the drawdown from the Basra Palace site in October 2006, the FCO

confirmed that TRiM assessment was open to staff from other departments and

contractors.482

479 Email [Frontier Medical] to [DFID junior official], 30 November 2006, ‘Medical Fitness Requirements

for Baghdad’.

480 Minute Parham to PS/PUS, 5 March 2004, ‘Iraq – Contingency Plan’.

481 Paper Foreign and Commonwealth Office, 25 October 2004, ‘Iraq Pre‑Deployment Brief’.

482 Email Middle East and North Africa Department [junior official] to Anderson, 27 October 2006,

‘Basra drawdown’.

371