BLOWN UP IN IRAQ ..MRSA TWICE HERE

0 Comments | Sunday Mirror, Mar 4, 2007 | by NICK OWENS

THE youngest British soldier wounded in Iraq caught the deadly superbug MRSA TWICE after he was treated on a "filthy" NHS ward in Britain.

Private Jamie Cooper, 18, was almost killed when shrapnel from a mortar round ripped through his stomach at his base in Basra. After being airlifted to safety he was treated in a mixed civilian ward at Selly Oak Hospital, Birmingham - and after a month was struck down by the killer infection.

Now his furious parents have officially complained to the hospital, which treats seriously injured troops.

The revelation comes five weeks after the Sunday Mirror launched a campaign to get better treatment for our war heroes. MPs and military experts condemned Jamie's treatment and said troops should be treated in military hospitals, NOT in the NHS.

His father Phillip, 48, from Bristol, said: "The ward was filthy. It has been hard enough to deal with the fact Jamie was so badly injured in Iraq, but for him to twice contract MRSA has just been a total nightmare.

"I have nothing but thanks for the people who saved Jamie's life when he was blown up. They performed a miracle in making sure my son is still here. But for Jamie to pull through and then get MRSA when he should be recovering is not acceptable. It would be a shocking thing to happen to anybody but for it to happen to a serving British soldier twice beggars belief."

Jamie became the youngest British casualty of the war in Iraq when his base was bombed on November 26 last year. Shrapnel ripped through the Royal Green Jacket rifleman's body and he had to drag himself to safety.

Medics battled for 12 hours to save him after he was airlifted to a field hospital.

He was then moved to Selly Oak for intensive care treatment but in December contracted MRSA through an open wound. He developed a fever, headaches and agonising bed sores. Doctors prescribed antibiotics and by the start of January he had recovered sufficiently to come off the drugs.

But at the beginning of February, just when Jamie thought he was over the worst, doctors realised the MRSA had returned. The sores the bug caused were so infected surgeons had to operate to reduce the terrible pain.

Today Jamie is still in hospital but is making a remarkable recovery - he even left his wheelchair and took a few tentative steps this week. But his parents are still angry. Yesterday Phillip and wife Caroline, 45, slammed the filthy ward.

Phillip said: "The hospital was in a real mess. It was one of the first things my wife and I noticed. We were very worried about it because Jamie had lots of open wounds on his body, which increased his chances of getting MRSA.

"It was heartbreaking to see him in more pain."

He added: "We have no complaints about the doctors or nurses at the hospital whatsoever - they have been wonderful to our son. Our complaint is with the lack of money being spent to make sure hospitals are clean."

Last night the system was blasted by former Bosnia commander and military commentator Col. Bob Stewart. He said: "The fault lies entirely with the castration of defence medical services."

Tory MP and ex-Army Col. Patrick Mercer said: "Anybody getting MRSA is a disgrace but one of our soldiers who has bled for our safety has got to be treated faultlessly."

Last night a Ministry of Defence spokeswoman said: "The University Hospital Birmingham NHS Trust which is treating Jamie has received a formal complaint which it is investigating. All the service chiefs have supported the idea of military managed wards."

Defence sources said Jamie had had to be treated on a civilian ward because of the specialist care he needed - not because of a shortage of beds on the military ward.

The crisis unit

CONTROVERSY surrounding Selly Oak erupted in September last year when Army chiefs slammed the system where injured troops are treated on "civilian" wards.

Army head General Sir Richard Dannatt said: "Our people need the privacy of recovering in a military environment."

As a result a 12-bed military managed ward was set up within Selly Oak with its own nurses and doctors.

But there are no specialist medical units for troops, so soldiers still end up being treated on mixed wards.

All of Britain's exclusive military hospitals have been closed down in the last 20 years.

nick.owens@sundaymirror.co.uk