SSAFA leaves Germany after 75 years of operation

02 October 2020

After 75 years, SSAFA’s healthcare service in north-west Europe has ended. Since 2013, SSAFA has had a partnership with Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust,

Since 1996 the SSAFA stats are: 22,000 babies born, 160,000 A&E Attendances, 775,000 outpatients, 175,000 inpatients, total patients treated in Secondary Health Care 1,100,000

While the partnership is ending in Germany, SSAFA has just won a new four-year contract in Cyprus and retains staff around the world.

SSAFA’s branches supporting serving personnel, veterans and their families across Europe are still very active.

Brief history of SSAFA in Germany since 1945

SSAFA nurses, midwives, health visitors and other staff, including Social Workers and volunteers had been part of ‘the Force’ under the Status of Agreement since the establishment of British Army of The Rhine following the end of Wold War 2 (1945).

In 1945 SSAFA arrived in Germany with British Army in the final stage of the Second World War, travelling with the British Liberation Army (BLA) and the SSAFA bureau remained with the BLA as they became the British Army of the Rhine (B.A.O.R) responsible for the British Zone of Germany [known as West Berlin], the zone had a population of 20 million, and was half the size of the United Kingdom. 

During the British Zone in 1940’s BAOR, SSAFA volunteers, SSAFA nurses and other health care agencies now fought to establish a functioning society.

In August 1946, Operation Union took place: 9,000 British families headed to Germany to be reunited with husbands in BAOR, the deployment of British families was supported by SSAFA, who living up to its wartime motto of “We’ll look after them”.

SSAFA travel officers stationed at the English docks assisted families being sent out, including distributing clothes and blankets to most needy and SSAFA volunteers waited in Germany to support families once they arrived.  

In 1946 the War Office asked SSAFA for nurses, who came to be known as ‘SSAFA Sisters’ to support British military families in Germany. The nurses would not only provide healthcare but, working with alongside SSAFA in-service committees would teach vital first aid and health courses to those finding themselves living in the British zone. Wearing Khaki uniforms with SSAFA flashes, the first group of six nurses was sent out to the British Zone in August 1946. By the end of 1946 there were 25 SSAFA nurses in the British Zone.

In 1968 SSAFA Sisters and Social Workers with the support of SSAFA overseas committees stepped in to support the wives and families of soldiers sent to Ulster when the troubles began.

In 1996 The Ministry of Defence contracted SSAFA and Guys & St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust to provide health and social care services to the military community in British Forces Germany and the European Support Group. Our professional staff ensured families had access to hospital services similar to the care available on the NHS.  

In 1995 the need to reduce costs and closure of the British Military Hospitals in Germany lead MOD to conduct a Market Testing Exercise of health provision in BFG and NW Europe. The Bid was won by the ‘In house Team’ consisting of SSAFA and RAMC/MOD for Primary and Community care (PCC) , together with Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Hospital Trust for Secondary (Hospital) care.

These three component organisations were teamed as The Health Alliance, which delivered an integrated Health Service to UK NHS and MOD DMS standards. This was a highly innovative fully managed service, and in addition to  its clinical input, PCC was largely operationally managed by SSAFA. A modified contract started in 2000, and again in 2002 with an unprecedented Partnering Agreement between MOD and SSAFA.

The following years saw substantial development and adaption to what was by now called British Forces Health Service. SSAFA provided not only operational management lead by a Director of Operations but also clinicians in a wide range of specialisms including paediatrics, medical (GPs), mental health, pharmacy, dietetics, health promotion, general management, and several others.

Subsequent contracts have addressed the reduction of BFG, although service to NATO Isodets in North West Europe has continued as well as adapted – serving both service personnel and their families.