Spike, firstly, I`d like to say I`m on your side mate. What follows is a genuine reply to your sad post.
We started talking about PTSD on these Forums in about Feb-ish 2002. We had some help with information and research sources from CS. They are in favour of sites like this where PTSD is openly talked about and were very supportive of our Listener Group idea, when we first started it. All this stuff is on the forums but I`m giving you the short version. They suggested that members of the Listener group should visit CS at Leatherhead, to inform the site about referral issues etc.
You can read my report at
www.militaryforums.co.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?t=801
Regarding who funds treatment at CS, I had this to say
To start with how people get referred to Combat Stress, either for an assessment for PTSD or for treatment itself. Most referrals are by GP. See your GP, tell him your symptoms and asked to be referred to Combat Stress. Others may be referred by SSAFFA or RBL. Some people will simply ring C.S direct and ask to talk to somebody about PTSD and will thereby "self refer".
From any of the referral routes, one of the eleven Regional Welfare Officers will arrange an appointment to meet you. The Welfare Officers are not medically trained but are all ex-services. Their function at this stage is to produce a report which goes to Tony Letford who then decides on an assessment or treatment at one of the three regional centres. Each centre has its own geographical catchment areas, one for the South of England, located in Leatherhead, one for the North located in Newport, Shropshire and one for Scotland and Northern Ireland located in Ayr. Treatment can be funded from various sources.
Either the WPA (Veterans Agency) will fund treatment or if you do not (yet) have a war pension, then SSAFFA or RBL will fund it. In the rare cases where none of the above agencies will fund treatment, then C.S will pay for it themselves. You don't have to worry about who is going to pay, the Welfare dept at C.S sort that out. C.S's view is that if you need treatment then you will get treatment.
I am certain that City Councils were not mentioned as a payment source during our visit. Untill your post I wasn`t aware that that Councils did pay for treatment by CS or anyone else for that matter.
As I said, I`m on your side. The best thing I could do for you would be to e-mail CS and ask for the information you seek. Since I wouldn`t get a reply before Mon night at the earliest, I suggest that you write to them, or better still get your sollicitors to write to them and cut out the middle man.
If I can be of any help at all, drop me a pm and I will reply.
Aye, Harry
