Primary and Community care

If you are not well, the starting point is your local Medical Centre. A health professional will assess your condition and direct you either to a GP or to another professional working in Primary or Community Care.

Each Medical Centre has experienced UK registered GPs who will examine patients and offer a diagnosis and treatment. The Medical Centre offer a wide range of services, including:

• Health visiting
• Midwifery
• Paediatric services
• Pharmacy services
• Physiotherapy
• School Health Services
• Speech and language therapists
• Genito-urinary services
• Occupational Therapy
• Child Adolescent Mental Health
• Community psychiatry

Secondary Health Care

Patients who cannot be treated at Primary care level may be referred by their GP to a consultant with specialised knowledge.

If you need to see a specialist or hospital treatment, the Medical Centre will, in most cases, book an out-patient appointment for you.

In BFG, patients are usually referred or admitted to one of five contracted Designated German Provider (DGP) hospitals. These hospitals were chosen for the wide range of services they offer and their proximity to the Garrisons.

At each DGP there is a team of bi-lingual Hospital Liaison Officers (HLOs) whose role is to:

• Explain to the patient what they can expect during their stay in hospital
• Help with communication problems
• Ensure patients are aware of proposed treatment
• Act as point of contact for other healthcare professionals
• Act as point of contact for units

The Hospital Liaison Officers will visit you daily during normal working hours. They also have an on-call service for evenings and week-ends.

The DGP hospitals have a lot of experience in treating BFG patients and they, together with the HLO team, will make sure your stay is as comfortable as possible.

If you are attending or admitted to a non-contracted hospital anywhere in Germany, please call the Patient Support Services Hospital Hotline on 0800 588 99 36. Calls made from a landline are free. Calls made from a mobile may be charged.