"Burnt out" MoD mandarins to receive counselling

Senior Ministry of Defence mandarins who are "close to burn out" are to be offered special decompression counseling.

It follows reports to ministry officials from line managers that both men and women among the MOD's 1,300 HQ staff in London are displaying worrying signs of extreme stress, after a "punishing" two years which has seen war in Ukriane, heightened tensions with Russia on Nato's others borders and conflct in the Middle East.

Not only is this detrimental to mental health but it is also a potential cause of mistakes.

One area of particular concern, sources say, has been the Ukraine link between MoD in Whitehall, Bristol's Defence, Equipment and Support HQ (DE&S) and munitions supplies from manufacturers.

To avoid long waiting NHS lists, a deal is being struck with the private King Edward VII hospital in Marylebone to offer counselling and psychiatry services on an outpatient basis.

Though it is commonly associated with the royal family - with patients in recent times including Prince Philip, King Charles and the Duchess of Cambridgeshire - the hospital also proudly boasts deep connections to the military which stems back to the Boer War.

“We cannot have vital civil servants and military personnel waiting weeks for national health service appointments,” said a Whitehall source.

“King Edward VII is at an ideal location for those in the Main Building headquarters who may only need limited treatment as outpatients before returning to their duties," said a Whitehall source.

So far, around 60 individuals have been identified for the services that King Edward VII hospital might offer. Most hold senior posts.

The hospital was founded in 1899 to treat officers treated in the Second Boer War.

In 1962 it became a registered charity and maintains active links with the MoD - even used to treat wounded officers during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. It boasts 56 rooms and treats more than 4,000 patients a year.

While it is best known for its surgical services, the hospital offers world class psychiatry and psychology facilities. It began to offer outpatient services in 2018.

It also supports the NHS and was the first private hospital to treat Covid victims during the pandemic.

Last year the MoD found that “anxiety, depression and stress” was the main cause of sick leave within Strategic Command - which leads the UK’s defence strategy - and represented close to a third of all cases.

Moves to tackle this have also included yoga and lived experiences workshops, the introduction of mental-health first-aiders and an “annual mental fitness brief" which is mandatory for all.

Hospital chiefs declined to comment.

But one source said: “It is entirely plausible that the MoD may have struck a deal with King Edward VII for this. The hospital has long standing military associations and services can be provided at NHS rates.”

A spokesman for the MoD said: "The health and wellbeing of our people are of utmost importance. We have a range of measures in place to support them and we remain open to listening to ways we can improve our support for our people."