Sir Richard has reacted angrily to claims of poor treatment Dannatt's reaction

It follows complaints about neglect and poor care standards at Birmingham's Selly Oak Hospital where many wounded soldiers are treated.

Families have told of soldiers on civilian wards with dirty conditions and a lack of pain relief.

General Sir Richard Dannatt said conditions have improved and the hospital is getting better.

In a BBC interview Sir Richard said recovering soldiers were no longer on wards with civilians, and are now able to be together.

"They are bantering as soldiers like to do and they are getting better because they are together."

"There was an issue, we have responded to it, it is getting better.

THE ARMED FORCES HOSPITAL Selly Oak treats all UK forces medical evacuees from Iraq and Afghanistan 6,000 military personnel have been admitted since 2001, of whom nearly 200 were hurt in conflict 30,000 military outpatients have been treated since 2001 Its specialities are trauma, orthopaedics, burns, plastic surgery and neurology Send us your comments

"And it's really important that that message goes across because it affects potentially morale of soldiers on the front line.

"Critically it also potentially affects the morale of the civilian national health staff at Selly Oak, who I desperately need to do what they do to make our soldiers better."

His comments were prompted by reports of letters of complaint from the families of some of Selly Oak's military patients.

One letter from anxious parents suggested that wounded troops may be suffering unnecessarily in Selly Oak.

Another told how nurses were unable to change a colostomy bag, so family members did it themselves.

Sir Richard insisted those complaints were out of date, and the situation had now changed.

Extremely angry

The BBC's Defence Correspondent Paul Adams said: "Clearly Sir Richard Dannatt feels Selly Oak is fit for purpose and he does seem to be extremely angry that people continue to suggest that it's not."

The Armed Forces Minister Adam Ingram admitted there were shortcomings in the treatment of some British soldiers wounded in Afghanistan and Iraq.

"There's been a lot of examination of what was being delivered in terms of rehabilitation and psychiatric care.

"I don't think there's any question at all that what's now being delivered at Selly Oak is of the highest standard."