Sue Harrild, AFF Overseas Assistant, recently found out about the Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre (JCCC) at a presentation in Belgium from Rachael Lewis, SO3 Notifying Authority for casualty and compassionate cases, and Ann McKenzie, European Welfare Officer at the European Joint Support Unit (EJSU).
The audience was spouses and partners currently living overseas with their service person, but it became clear that not everyone was aware of JCCC and the support it can provide during difficult times.
If you’re based overseas and get the awful news that a child, sibling or parent back in the UK is critically ill or dying as a result of an unplanned event, the JCCC should be the first call you make.
It will, without charge, organise all the travel, door to door, and get you back to the family member’s UK hospital bedside by the fastest possible route.
However, it only covers travel from your overseas base and won’t cover you if you are on holiday overseas elsewhere. It is not a replacement for travel insurance or a Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC).
Rachael talked about the three tiers of response from the JCCC depending on the seriousness of the event. The top tier response is getting you back urgently, by the fastest means possible, door to hospital bedside. The next tier is less urgent travel to the UK and the final tier is organised support, for example additional/unpaid leave if needed.
There is a ‘family brief’ film that covers the services JCCC provides. See gov.uk/guidance/joint-casualty-and-compassionate-centre-jccc