NDDN Committee Report

If there was ever a subject that merited non-partisan attention, this is it.

If there was ever a time to make it better, it is now.

The Canadian Forces Health Services (CFHS) is among the best of its kind in the world. Particularly on battlefields like those in Afghanistan, our wounded soldiers, sailors, airmen and airwomen are provided with the most dedicated, professional and effective medical treatment Canada can provide, from the point of injury, all the way back to a hospital near home in Canada. The Canadian Forces also recognize that the well-being of military families is a crucial cornerstone of troop morale, operational effectiveness and personnel retention. It therefore continues to offer a growing number of health and social support programs for military families.

As effective as current Canadian Forces health care and social support programs are, there is room for improvement. Concern has been expressed over the ability of the Canadian Forces to meet the needs of soldiers recovering after being injured in combat in Afghanistan and in other operations. Of particular worry is the ability of the military health care system to care for the growing number of those suffering operational stress injuries (OSI), including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The Standing Committee on National Defence (hereinafter the Committee) examined the provision of health services to the Canadian Forces, with a focus on PTSD. This report concludes that renewed leadership efforts and program improvements are required. However, unlike other reports dealing with these issues, we suggest the provision of adequate health care services for Canadian military personnel and those family members who need it, as a result of military activity conducted at the direction of government, is not only a Canadian Forces issue. It is a whole-of-government responsibility. There are others that can and should help.

Our study was an objective examination of the root causes of main difficulties facing military health care in Canada today. Our overall objective is to offer government credible and workable recommendations to remedy the challenges identified. We hope they will be implemented effectively and efficiently, in a spirit of teamwork across all departments.

Within the military, effective casualty treatment and handling is a significant morale enhancer. If Canadians expect our troops to do what we ask of them, it is only fair that those troops be confident they will be taken care of, should they be injured in the course of doing their duty. Moreover, should they be killed, or injured, physically or psychologically, they must know that their family will be cared for too.

The vast majority of injured personnel receive excellent care. However, there have been instances in which wounded personnel, or members of their families, have not received adequate treatment. Some prior reports, from the Department of National Defence and Canadian Forces Ombudsman and the Auditor General of Canada have highlighted examples of wounded soldiers ‘falling through the cracks’ and not receiving the care and treatment to which they or their families were entitled.[1]

We emphasize our desire to identify root causes, those fundamental reasons why such things as inconsistent policy application, lack of follow-up treatment and a prevailing perception of a negative ‘stigma’ might exist. The Committee feels that simply throwing money at problems will not prevent them from happening again. Moreover, just because a problem appears in the Canadian Forces does not necessarily mean that is the only place such difficulties exist. Shortages of medical professionals and negative attitudes toward psychological disorders are found in the general population too. Simply directing the Canadian Forces to take action does not always work either, particularly when the Canadian Forces has neither the capability, nor the mandate, to solve the problems identified. Many of the well-intentioned recommendations in past studies do little more than address symptoms of more deep-rooted challenges. This Committee was determined to look diligently for fundamental causes.

We think we found them.