The Report
of the Iraq Inquiry
the Armed
Forces or the Merchant Navy. The MOD meets the cost of fees charged
by
Combat
Stress for “remedial treatment” at the three
centres.5
20.
Veterans’
healthcare is generally provided by the NHS. Charities and
welfare
organisations
also play an important role.
21.
In July 2002,
the MOD defined three options for a UK contribution to US-led
military
operations
in Iraq:
•
Package 1 –
an “in-place support package” using forces already in the
region;
•
Package 2 –
an “enhanced support package” comprising Package 1
with
additional
air and maritime forces; and
•
Package 3 –
a “discrete UK package” based on deployment of an
armoured
division,
in addition to the forces in Package 2.6
22.
Those three
options provided the broad framework for discussions within
the
UK Government
until the end of 2002.
23.
A Strategic
Medical Estimate was prepared for the MOD’s Strategic Planning
Group
on 1
September 2002.7
The
Estimate – which assumed an entry into Iraq from Turkey
–
set out the
expected number of Role 3 hospital admissions from an operation in
Iraq, as
a basis for
medical planning:
•
157 (best
case) to 241 (worst case) battle casualties;
•
152 (best
case) to 212 (worst case) casualties from chemical
warfare;
•
15 percent
of those exposed to biological warfare; and
•
34 Disease
and Non-Battle Injuries (DNBI) a day.
24.
The Estimate
stated that 55 individuals a week would require medical
evacuation
back to the
UK.
5
Paper MOD,
29 June 2010, ‘Veterans Mental Health’.
6
Letter
Watkins to Rycroft, 26 July 2002, ‘Iraq’.
7
Minute
MOD [junior
official] to Iraq Inquiry [junior official], 22 June 2010, ‘Iraq
Inquiry – Request
for Evidence’.
42