Edinburgh was the focus of attention yesterday and not for Festival news. A milestone in care provision was reached with the official opening of the new Army Recovery Centre at Erskine's Edinburgh Home, Gilmerton.
The state of the art Army Recovery Centre, a dedicated 12 bed wing of the £8.6m Erskine Edinburgh Home, is the result of a partnership between the Army, veterans' charity Erskine and Help for Heroes who together are providing accommodation and support for soldiers wounded or injured during duty.
This is the first purpose-built Army Recovery Centre in the UK and will show the way to deliver similar services wherever the need is identified. Planning is already underway towards a second centre in Colchester.
Before this facility was available, once patients left hospital or the DMRC at Headley Court, most continued to convalesce at home. This was not a good situation for many recovering soldiers as they were immediately isolated from colleagues and those who understood their physical and mental needs. Soldiers will gain from a structured military environment close to existing garrison facilities, including care and rehabilitation, a gym, career management and counseling.
The centre will also cater for families as they support their loved ones.
Chief of Staff, General Sir Richard Dannatt, attended the opening. Gordon Brown was not present even though he is on holiday just over the Forth and about half an hour's drive from Gilmerton.
Help for Heroes has provided the funding for the centre, Erskine will provide the facilities management and hotel services for the building, whilst the Army will staff the centre with military personnel to carry out the care and rehabilitation.
I am delighted the first home of this kind has been opened in Scotland. It certainly saves families journeys of hundreds of miles to visit their loved ones. England is deserving too of course and the Colchester centre will be opened as soon as possible - of that I have no doubt. Let us not forget, this centre has been planned by experienced military charities and not by politicians.
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