Health and Mental Health
Priority Healthcare for Veterans
“From 1 January 2008, all veterans should receive priority access to NHS secondary care for any conditions which are likely to be related to their service, subject to the clinical needs of all patients.”
The current NHS Operating Framework states “The existing arrangements for giving priority access to veterans for service-related conditions, subject to clinical need, is an issue that all PCTs and providers should now be delivering for all referrals.” (Source: NHS Choices, 2015)
Website: https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/armed-forces-community/
OpCOURAGE
About Op COURAGE: The Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Service
This is the new name for:
- the Veterans’ Mental Health Transition, Intervention and Liaison Service (TILS)
- the Veterans’ Mental Health Complex Treatment Service (CTS)
- the Veterans’ Mental Health High Intensity Service (HIS)
The new name has been developed to make it easier for those leaving the military and veterans to find help.
Op COURAGE: The Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Service (NHS,2021)
If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health or wellbeing, expert help is available from Op COURAGE: The Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Service. It does not matter if you’re due to leave the armed forces, just left the armed forces or left many years ago.
Op COURAGE are here to help and understand the courage it takes to speak to someone. When you contact Op COURAGE, you’ll speak to people who:
- understand the armed forces and military life
- are either from the armed forces community or highly experienced in working with serving personnel, reservists, veterans, and their families
- will work with you to make sure you get the right type of specialist care, support, and treatment
How Op COURAGE: The Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Service can help.
The first step to getting help is to contact Op COURAGE: The Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Service. You can contact the service yourself or ask your GP, a charity or someone else, such as a family member or friend, to do this for you. The service will arrange for you to have an assessment, to make sure you get the right care and support.
How to contact Op COURAGE: The Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Service.
North of England
Call 0800 652 2867 or email VTILS@cntw.nhs.uk The Op COURAGE urgent care and support service is accessible by healthcare referral only.
The Midlands and East of England
Call 0300 323 0137 or email mevs.mhm@nhs.net (includes the Op COURAGE urgent care and support service).
London
Call 020 3317 6818 or email cim-tr.veteranstilservice-lse@nhs.net (includes the Op COURAGE urgent care and support service).
South East England
For services in Sussex, Surrey or Kent, call 020 3317 6818 or email cim-tr.veteranstilservice-lse@nhs.net.
For services in Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Berkshire, Oxfordshire or Buckinghamshire, call 0300 365 2000 or email gateway@berkshire.nhs.uk.
For the Op COURAGE urgent care and support service, call 02394 387 924 or email snhs.veteranshis.se@nhs.net.
South West England
Call 0300 365 2000 or email gateway@berkshire.nhs.uk.
Urgent and emergency support from other NHS services
If you experience a mental health crisis you can also get help by dialling 111, booking an emergency GP appointment, visiting A&E or calling 999. If you’re still serving, you can also call the military mental health helpline on 0800 323 4444.
Veterans: NHS services for those with physical injuries
(Source: NHS England, 2019)
Veterans Trauma Network
The Veterans Trauma Network provides care and treatment to those who have been injured during their time in the armed forces. The service is available in selected NHS health centres across England close to where people live.
The network operates 10 centres in eight major cities: Plymouth, Oxford, London (three centres), Birmingham, Nottingham, Liverpool, Leeds and Middlesbrough
Referrals can be made via your GP at england.veteranstraumanetwork@nhs.net
You can also be referred by Blind Veterans UK and Style for Soldiers or via Blesma, by either emailing bsoprosthetics@blesma.org or calling 0208 548 7080
NHS prosthetic services for veterans
The veterans’ prosthetics programme was set up to put into practise the key findings of ‘A better deal for military amputees’, a report by Dr Andrew Murrison MP. Nine Disablement Service Centres (DSCs) across England have been selected to provide enhanced services to veterans who have lost a limb as a result of their service in the armed forces.
- Bristol – Bristol Centre for Enablement, North Bristol NHS Trust
- Leicester – Leicester Specialist Mobility Centre, provided by Blatchford Clinical Services on behalf of clinical commissioning groups (CCGs)
- Sheffield – Mobility and Specialised Rehabilitation Centre, Northern General Hospital
- Carlisle – Disablement Services Centre, Cumberland Infirmary, North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust
- Preston – Specialist Mobility & Rehabilitation Centre, Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Stanmore – Stanmore Prosthetic Rehabilitation Unit, Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital Trust
- Portsmouth – Prosthetic Regional Rehabilitation Department, Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust
- Birmingham – West Midlands Rehabilitation Centre, Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Trust
- Cambridge – Addenbrooke’s Rehabilitation Clinic, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Veterans Prosthetic Panel
The VPP was established in 2012 so veterans could apply for funding for high-quality prosthetic limbs, regardless of which DSC they attend. This application is then assessed by a specialised panel
To find out more about NHS prosthetic services for veterans, speak to your GP. You can also contact Blesma at bsoprosthetics@blesma.org or call 020 8548 7080.
NHS Veterans Aware Hospitals
(Source: NHS Improvement 2019)
Veteran Aware hospitals will:
- provide leaflets and posters to veterans and their families explaining what to expect train relevant staff to be aware of veterans’ needs and the commitments of the NHS under the Armed Forces Covenant
- inform staff if a veteran or their GP has told the hospital they have served in the armed forces
- ensure that the armed forces community do not face disadvantage compared to other citizens when accessing NHS services
- signpost to extra services that might be provided to the armed forces community by a charity or service organisation in the hospital
- look into what services are available in their locality, which patients would benefit from being referred to after a hospital stay
33 hospitals that have been accredited as ‘Veteran Aware’
The recognition means that patients who have served in the UK armed forces will be cared for by frontline staff who have received training and education on their specific needs and who can also signpost them to other local support services e.g. Mental Health.
Website: https://improvement.nhs.uk/resources/veteran-aware-hospitals/
Armed Forces Veterans friendly accredited GP practices
(Source: NHS England 2019)
GPs are signing up to become ‘veteran friendly’ under a new national scheme to improve medical care and treatment for former members of the armed services that has been backed by NHS England and the Royal College of GPs.
Practices can qualify for veteran friendly status by offering extra support for ex-military personnel who may face additional challenges when they return to civilian life.
To become accredited, GP practices need to:
- have a lead for veterans’ issues within the surgery;
- identify and flag veterans on their computer system;
- undertake dedicated training and attend armed forces healthcare meetings;
- increase understanding of the health needs of veterans amongst both clinical and administrative staff.
Royal College of General Practitioners
Veterans’ Healthcare Toolkit
https://www.rcgp.org.uk/clinical-and-research/resources/toolkits/veterans-healthcare-toolkit.aspx
NHS England
(Source NHS England, 2019)
Personalised care for Armed Forces personnel in transition
https://www.england.nhs.uk/personalisedcare/upc/ipc-for-veterans/
The Armed Forces personnel in transition, Integrated Personal Commissioning for Veterans Framework (IPC4V) is a new personalised care approach for the small number of Armed Forces personnel who have complex and enduring physical, neurological and mental health conditions that are attributable to injury
whilst in Service
The process
Individuals who are eligible for IPC4V are proactively identified by medical staff whilst they are on the Defence Recovery Pathway. With the individual’s agreement and where appropriate, that of their family, they will then be referred for an assessment. As part of this, a multi-disciplinary and multi-agency steering
group is set up to oversee the case and ensure the right people, including the individual, are involved.
Following an initial holistic assessment around the individual and their health and well-being needs, a personalised care and support plan is developed with them (and also their family where appropriate). These arrangements are put into place whilst the individual is still serving, ensuring that Armed Forces aware care
and support are provided as they transition to civilian life and beyond.
Personalised care for veterans
https://www.england.nhs.uk/personalisedcare/upc/ipc-for-veterans/personalised-care-for-veterans/
NHS England and NHS Improvement, together with the Ministry of Defence (MOD), have published the Personalised care for veterans in England, a guide for clinical commissioning groups and local authorities. The document sets out a new personalised care approach for those veterans who have a long
term physical, mental or neurological health condition or disability.
Benefits
Individuals who are eligible to receive this personalised care package, will benefit from the following:
- Personalised care and support planning with a range of organisations, including health and social care, local commissioners and Armed Forces charities. This gives them more choice and control over how their care is planned and delivered, taking into account preferences that relate specifically to their military service.
- A single integrated personalised care and support plan for all their health and wellbeing needs, including the option of NHS Continuing Health Care, a personal budget, personal health budget or integrated personal budget for all or part of their care. This plan is based on what matters to them,
meaning that they can choose how best to live their life and get the right support to make this happen. - Ongoing support and access to community resources to help ensure that they are an active participant in the planning and management of their own health and wellbeing, with outcomes and solutions having meaning and context within their life.
COMBAT STRESS
(Source: Combat Stress,2020)
We are Combat Stress, the UK’s leading charity for veterans’ mental health. For over a century, we’ve helped former servicemen and women with mental health problems such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety and depression.
Today we provide specialist treatment and support for veterans from every service and conflict, focusing on those with complex mental health issues.
The work we do is life-changing and often lifesaving. No one else does what we do.
If you’re currently serving or have served in the UK Armed Forces, you can call Combat Stress’ 24-hour mental health helpline.
THE HELPLINE IS AVAILABLE 24 HOURS A DAY, 365 DAYS A YEAR
- Veterans and their families can call 0800 138 1619
- Serving personnel and their families can call 0800 323 4444
Online Self-help Resources:
- Physical Well Being
- Managing Anger
- Managing Low Mood
- Managing Anxiety
- Alcohol Misuse
- Substance Misuse
- Veterans Families
- Support for Organizations
- Support with PTSD
- Sleep during COVID-19
- Grief and Loss
Weblink: https://www.combatstress.org.uk/mental-health-support-during-covid-19
PEER TO PEER SUPPORT
• Website Map Locations Link: https://www.combatstress.org.uk/get-help/how-we-help/peer-support
TRAUMA-FOCUSED THERAPY Six-week residential Intensive Treatment Programme
Support in Your Community:
- COMMUNITY TEAMS
- PSYCHO-EDUCATION GROUPS
- OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY WORKSHOPS
Tel: See Above
Email: contactus@combatstress.org.uk
Website: https://combatstress.org.uk
TOGETHER ALL (Formerly BIG WHITE WALL)
Why are we called Together All?
Formerly Big White Wall, our new name Together All represents our community, which is open and inclusive to all people. We believe it’s important to provide a place of safety without judgement for people to get together to support each other, whilst also recognising mental health does not discriminate; we all have to look after it.
What is the service?
The video highlights from all viewpoints how we support populations with their mental health and wellbeing – helping with feels of anxiety, depression, isolation and stress, to relationship problems and lifestyle challenges.
The safety of our members and clinical rigour is at the core of what we do and we have a network of trained professionals providing 24/7 support around the world.
Organisations can commission our Support Network service, or Support Network plus Live Therapy.
Armed Forces
Access provided by the UK Ministry of Defence and NHS England to all serving personnel, veterans and family members.
Access by Registering and using the UK Armed Forces Community link
Weblink: https://account.v2.togetherall.com/register
CONTACT (ARMED FORCES)
Contact is a collaboration of military charities working with the NHS and the MOD.
The aim of the group is to help members of the Armed Forces community access mental health and wellbeing support. This should be the most suitable and best possible support for each individual, when they need it.
We can Help Categories:
- I have served
- Family and friends
- I am serving
- Healthcare professionals
- Mood assessment tool
Contact Access via online referral:
https://www.contactarmedforces.co.uk/we-can-help/contact-us/
Contact partners
https://www.contactarmedforces.co.uk/about-us/
HELP FOR HEROES: HIDDEN WOUNDS
WHAT IS HIDDEN WOUNDS?
The Help for Heroes Hidden Wounds service can support you if you are Ex-Service Personnel, or a family member, who is living with anxiety, depression, anger or wishing to change your drinking habits.
We know many Veterans struggling with their mental health have never accessed support before. If you are the loved one of a Veteran who hasn’t reached out, particularly if you are worried about the impact of your Veteran’s mental health on your own wellbeing, we’re here to offer free and confidential advice.
Support is delivered by phone, Skype or face to face
For more information, you can contact the Hidden Wounds team confidentially 9am – 5pm by calling
0808 2020 144 (free from UK landlines) or emailing hidden.wounds@helpforheroes.org.uk
Website: https://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/get-support/mental-health-and-wellbeing/hidden-wounds-service/
HEAD START: WALKING WITH THE WOUNDED
Website: https://www.contactarmedforces.co.uk/
Head Start provides 1-2-1 private therapy for ex-service personnel with mild to moderate mental health difficulties such as depression, anxiety, PTSD and adjustment disorder. Therapy is provided via face-to-face and digital sessions. Evidence-based talking therapies including cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
and Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing (EMDR) are delivered by accredited private therapists within the ex-service personnel’s local community. The NHS is central to ex-service personnel receiving support with their mental health and Head Start are referral partners with the NHS specific veteran teams, therefore these teams should be contacted in the first instance. (WWtW, 2019)
TALKING THERAPIES
One to one private therapy for ex-service personnel with anxiety, depression and PTSD.
QUICK ACCESS
Private therapists can offer appointments without long waiting times.
CONVENIENT
Therapy provided close to where you live.
Are you a healthcare professional looking to refer to Head Start?
Web link: https://www.wwtw.org.uk/Home/About/48
Head Start team – 01263 863906 or email headstart@wwtw.org.uk (working hours are Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm)