Casualty Procedures
Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre
The Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre (JCCC) is the Tri Service point of contact and casualty management coordinating centre, responsible for monitoring and directing all aspects of casualty management. They also authorise Compassionate Leave issues such as travel from operationally deployed and overseas Service personnel, their dependants based abroad (Including Northern Ireland), and mobilised reservists and Territorial Army. The Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre, part of the Service Personnel & Vetrans Agency is located at RAF Innsworth, Gloucester, GL3 1HW. Contact may be made by calling (0044) 01452 519951. It is manned round the clock 365 days per year.
The Centre is primarily responsible for monitoring and actioning certain procedures for Service personnel if they become notifiable casualties (details below), both in the UK and overseas including those on operations and also for their dependants overseas. These roles ensure that the service persons nominated Next of Kin/Additional Next of Kin are notified appropriately and as quickly as possible should an individual become a notifiable casualty. Notification is carried out by a Casualty Notifying Officer.
Comprehensive details of all aspects of casualty reporting and procedures can be found in JSP 751, Chapter 20 (now on the Intranet www.army.mod.uk).
Notifiable casualties are categorised into medically appropriate listings defined as follows:
- Unlisted. The category of Unlisted is applied to an individual whose illness or injury requires hospitalisation but whose condition does not warrant, in the opinion of the medical services classification above that. The JCCC Casualty Centre are not responsible for notifying the Next of Kin/Additional Next of Kin of personnel within this category, therefore the onus rests with the individual and his unit. In most cases the nominated Next of Kin will be contacted by telephone.
- Missing. In the event of an individual being officially listed as Missing the JCCC Casualty Centre has both a monitoring and action role, primarily to ensure that Next Of Kin/Additional Next of Kin are informed by a Casualty Notification Officer (CNO) or the Visiting Officer (VO) appointed to advise the family.
- Ill - Incapacitating Illness/Injury. The category of Incapacitating Illness/Injury is applied to an individual whose illness or injury requires hospitalisation but does not warrant classification above this level, but the illness or injury renders them either physically or mentally unable to communicate with friends or relatives. In the event of an individual being listed within this category, the JCCC Casualty Centre has both a monitoring and action role, primarily to ensure that Next Of Kin/Additional Next of Kin are informed by a Casualty Notifying or Visiting Officer.
- Seriously Ill. The category of Seriously Ill (SI) is applied to an individual whose illness or injury is of such severity that there is cause for immediate concern but there is no imminent danger to life. In the event of an individual being listed as Seriously Ill, the JCCC Casualty Centre has both a monitoring and action role, primarily to ensure that Next Of Kin/Additional Next of Kin are informed by a Casualty Notifying or Visiting Officer.
- Very Seriously Ill. The category of Very Seriously Ill (VSI) is applied to an individual whose illness or injury is of such severity that life is imminently endangered. In the event of an individual being listed as VSI, the JCCC Casualty Centre has both a monitoring and action role, primarily to ensure that Next Of Kin/Additional Next of Kin are informed by a Casualty Notifying or Visiting Officer.
- Death. When an individual has been pronounced dead by a Medical Officer/Doctor, the JCCC Casualty Centre has both a monitoring and action role, primarily to ensure that Next Of Kin/Additional Next of Kin are informed by a Casualty Notifying Officer. After notification the a Visiting Officer will be appointed and he/she will act as a continuing point of contact with the family, and is responsible for advising on the appropriate funeral options available, ascertaining the wishes of the Next of Kin, and providing general practical advice and assistance where possible.
Dangerously Ill - Forwarding Overseas of Relatives (DILFOR)
A further role of the Casualty Centre is to authorise and oversee arrangements for DILFOR travel, a scheme which allows two people, normally the nominated Next of Kin and a companion, to travel overseas at public expense to visit a servicemen or their spouse at their bedside if they are listed as Very Seriously Ill or Seriously Ill and the medical authorities have recommended it.
The scheme does not apply to personnel who are on leave overseas outside the country of the current tour of duty of the service person. In this eventuality it is expected that private insurance will cover such eventualities.
Repatriations
The Casualty Centre is also responsible for overseeing the repatriation of deceased Army personnel and their dependants from overseas for both operational and non-oprational casualties, normally at public expense. This includes co-ordinating interaction between the overseas command and the Next of Kin through the Visiting Officer, and through liasing with the HM Coroner in the areas where the body will arrive in the UK and the burial/cremation is to take place (if different). There is also direct liaison with the funeral director nominated by the family. In the event of a repatriation from Operational Theatres repatriation is likely to be through RAF Lynham or Brize Norton with the appropriate level of Service formality. The Visiting Officer will coordinate all aspects of repatriation with the family. It should be pointed our that the repatriation ceremony is the Nations and also the Services way of paying respect and the family are considered guests. The numbers attending are limited and the Visiting Officer will discuss this with the bereaved at the appropriate point. In the event of a non operational repatriation a civil airport may be used and if there is no ceremony and therefore no opportunity to attend.
The JCCC Casualty Cell is not responsible for repatriation where death occurs whilst on leave overseas outside the country of the current tour of duty of the service person. As with injury private insurance should cover the requirement. The Casualty Centre will however monitor the process and assist where necessary. The due entitlements will be provided on return to the UK.
Service Inquiry
It is the Army Inquiries and Aftercare Support Cell (AIASC) responsibility to monitor the progress of a Service Inquiry reports into Service deaths and ultimately to prepare them for release to Next of Kin and HM Coroners once the report has been finalised. Contact can be made by calling: Tel (0044) 01980 615567/5558/8762 during the hours of 8.30am to 5.30pm Mon-Fri ONLY and not of public holidays.
Who deals with Army casualties?
- The Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre (JCCC) located at RAF Insworth in Gloucester has a world-wide responsibility for monitoring and dealing with certain procedures for Army personnel and also for their dependants overseas, who become notifiable casualties (details below).
- The Centre is manned around the clock 365 days per year by a team of dedicated, experienced and knowledgeable staff.
Service personnel can find comprehensive details of all aspects of casualty reporting and procedures in JSP 751 or by contacting JCCC or AIASC. .
What Do You Mean By "Next of Kin"?
- Service personnel are required to give details of the person they wish to be notified in the event of them becoming a listed casualty or of their involvement in an incident of public interest.
- It should be stressed that the person nominated is not necessarily the legal next-of-kin and that being nominated does not give the person any legal rights.
- Initial notification of the casualty incident is made to the person recorded as the notifiable next-of-kin (as above) on the Service person's next-of-kin record but all other matters, including funeral arrangements may be the subject of a Will or the wishes of the legal next-of-kin. Service personnel can find a broad definition of next-of-kin in Joint Service Publiction 751 (The Visiting Officer has access to this document).
What is an Additional Next of Kin?
Additional next-of-kin is someone the Service person nominates to be notified in addition to or instead of the next-of-kin (see above). An additional nominee should only be notified of a casualty instead of the next-of-kin when:
- The Service person considers direct notification to the next-of-kin could have serious consequences and arranges for the additional nominee to bear the responsibility. This may happen, for example, when the nominated next-of-kin is elderly or infirm and bad news could contribute to a deterioration of their physical or mental state.
- The nominated next-of-kin is a minor.
What About the Spouse's Next-of Kin?
- A Service person's spouse is also asked to nominate someone they wish to be notified if they themselves become a notifiable casualty. The difference, however, is that a spouse is only asked to supply one nominee and not an additional next-of-kin as for the Service person.
What is a Casualty Notifying Officer?
- When a Service person becomes a notifiable casualty, the Service appoints a Casualty Notifying Officer (CNO) to notify, in person, the next-of-kin and/or the additional next-of-kin. This does not apply, however, when the soldier is listed as III or has a medical category of Unlisted (a telephone call may suffice).
- Where the next-of-kin lives near the Service person's permanent Unit, notification will normally be undertaken by an officer from the Unit. There may be times when this is not possible and in those circumstances a request is usually made to the Divisional or Brigade Headquarters where the next-of-kin and/or additional next-of-kin reside to appoint a Casualty Notifying Officer.
- It may be that there are no Army Units within a reasonable distance of the next-of-kin, in which case a request may be made to the civil police or nearest Royal Navy, Royal Air Force or Royal Marines establishment to appoint a Casualty Notifying Officer.
- The Army is fully aware of the anxiety and confusion that a family suffers in such distressing times and therefore a Visiting Officer will be appointed to provide practical support and assistance to the bereaved family of an injured service person and they will continue to be available until in the case of an injured casualty no further assistance is agreed mutually between the Next of Kin and the Service. In the event of death until after the funeral. They are there to advise the next-of-kin on matters such as funeral arrangements and practical assistance in respect of service related issues.
Can I Visit a Casualty Overseas?
- The Service have a scheme known as DILFOR (Dangerously Ill - Forwarding Overseas of Relatives) which allows a visit to the bedside of a casualty overseas. The DILFOR scheme does not apply to personnel who are on leave overseas outside the country of the current tour of duty of the service person.
- DILFOR is only authorised on the direct recommendation of the medical authority concerned and once they are satisfied that certain criteria have been met.
- It must be stressed that the DILFOR scheme is intended solely for the benefit of the patient and there is no automatic entitlement for next-of-kin to visit the patient at public expense.
- The DILFOR scheme allows two people, normally the nominated next-of-kin and a companion, to travel overseas at public expense to visit a Service person or spouse at the bedside if the casualty is categorised as Very Seriously Ill or Seriously Ill (see above). The Casualty Centre is responsible for authorising and monitoring all the travel arrangements and liaises very closely with the Visiting Officer and the soldier/spouse's unit through the single service notifying authority which geographically covers the families location.
What if the Service Person is on Leave Overseas When Death Occurs?
- The Army is not responsible for repatriation where death occurs on leave overseas outside of the country of the current tour of duty. Naturally, it is very important to ensure you have appropriate insurance and to check any existing policies before you go.
What if a Dependant dies Overseas?
- A dependant who dies overseas has the same entitlement to repatriation as Service personnel although a small contribution will be asked for.
- A dependant is recognised as being:
- A member of the family who has been moved overseas at public expense.
- A child born during the overseas tour.
- The spouse of Service personnel who marries during the overseas tour.
- A baby that has reached at least 24 weeks' gestation, and is stillborn.
What Arrangements are Made for Funerals?
The Service takes great care to ensure that funeral arrangements are made with as little distress to the family as possible and with sensitivity to the wishes of the next-of-kin, and of course to any wish the soldier may have made in a Will.
- It is in this area that the definition of next-of-kin can become quite confusing and sometimes the family is not always able to understand the difference between the legal next-of-kin and the person the soldier has nominated as next-of-kin for casualty reporting purposes. If there is any doubt or confusion over this the Visiting Officer will seek advice in an attempt to clarify matters for the family. It must be pointed out that the Visiting Officer is not in a position to become involved when there is any family disagreement. They are directed not to become involved.
- Service personnel can find comprehensive details of all aspects of casualty reporting and procedures, including funerals, in Joint Service Publication 751 which can be found on the Defence Web or Adjutant Generals Website under AIASC within DPS(A) web page.
What Type of Funeral?
There are two types of funeral available, public or private expense. The soldier's unit or the Visiting Officer explains to the family what each of these means, the options open to them and what entitlements they have. If the next-of-kin choose to have a funeral at public expense (i.e. arranged and funded by the Crown) then the Visiting Officer will also help the next-of-kin to make the necessary arrangements.
Is a Public Expense Funeral the same as a Military Funeral?
Some families choose not to have a Funeral at public expense in the mistaken belief that it is wholly military. It can actually be quite private with no military presence at all. It is normally a matter for the next-of-kin, in conjunction with the Army unit, to decide on the degree of ceremony at a public expense funeral and this can vary widely. It may be that a single representative from the Army unit attends or it may be that the individual is buried with full military honours. Again, this is an area that the Visiting Officer will help the family understand.
What about compensation and / or Service pensions?
Very early on in the case of either a death or injury the Visiting Officer will introduce the beneficiary or service person to their local Service Personnel & Veteran Agency Welfare Service Officer who will provide guidance and assistance in gaining access to such entitlements.
The above is a summary of the role and function of the Service Casualty management process and the list is by no means definitive. Some areas can be quite complex and procedures and entitlements may vary depending on the individual circumstances of a casualty.
|
