Welcome to the Autumn/ Winter edition of our Armed Forces stakeholder brief. To mark this year’s Remembrance, NHS England and our partner Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) are urging GP practices to become veteran friendly accredited and prevent ‘silently struggling’ veterans from delaying seeking medical help.
The Veteran Friendly Accreditation scheme by the RCGP and NHS England is a quick-to-implement, free support programme that provides the general practice team with a simple process for identifying, understanding and supporting veterans and, where appropriate, referring them to specialist physical and mental healthcare services. These could include Op COURAGE: The Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Service, Op RESTORE: The Veterans Physical Health and Wellbeing Service and OP Nova: Supporting Veterans in the Justice System.
98% of primary care networks currently have at least one veteran friendly accredited GP practice – please help us to meet our ambition of 100% coverage, by promoting the benefits of practices becoming veteran friendly, to best support their patients who have served in the UK Armed Forces.
As we join the whole of the NHS in England in remembering the commitments and sacrifices of the Armed Forces and their families and wider communities, we wish you a peaceful Remembrance at what can be a difficult time of year for people who have served and their loved ones. Those who have served in the UK Armed Forces, and live in England can contact Op COURAGE for support with their mental health.
