Local service contacts for members of the armed forces approaching discharge or veterans who are experiencing mental health difficulties.

The NHS is rolling out an expanded mental health support service for Armed Forces veterans, as a survey found that more than half find it difficult to speak up about mental health issues. The health service has today (9 January) launched a new campaign to highlight its Op COURAGE service, which now includes enhanced specialist […]

As the next steps on the NHS Five Year Forward View announced 17,500 forces veterans and service personnel will benefit from £9million investment in new and improved NHS mental health services, NHS England’s Director of Health & Justice, Armed Forces and Sexual Assault Services Commissioning looks at what it will bring: Improved NHS mental health […]

NHS England is set to launch (April 1) a brand new mental health service which has been specially tailored to support and treat ex-armed forces veterans and service personnel who are approaching discharge. The newly commissioned £9m service, known officially as the NHS transition, intervention and liaison (TIL) veterans’ mental health service, will act as […]

Responsibility for Armed Forces healthcare is split between the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and the NHS. Defence Medical services (DMS) provide a range of services for regular serving personnel in the UK, those serving overseas and in some cases their families. From an NHS perspective, commissioning responsibilities are discharged through NHS England as a direct […]

Patients with heart disease and who were on a waiting list for a cardiac revascularisation or heart operation in 11 English NHS Hospital Trusts were offered the opportunity to participate in a Patient Reported Outcomes (PROMs) pilot about their heart operation – the aim of which was to see if it was possible for the […]

NHS England is set to further improve mental health care for military veterans after a nationwide campaign to give veterans themselves a say in how services are delivered. Feedback has highlighted the need to improve awareness of where veterans should go for help, raise the profile of NHS veterans’ mental health services and further increase […]

Health Education England, with support from NHS England, has just launched an e-learning programme to help increase understanding of the armed forces population and facilitate improved care and treatment.  The programme covers current serving personnel, veterans and their families. Dr Jonathan Leach, an army veteran and GP, explains its importance: The Armed Forces community consists of current members of the […]

NHS England is today asking armed forces veterans to share their experience of mental health services and help improve future care across the country. The launch of a national survey will help improve the care available for veterans as they move from military to civilian life. The survey is a chance for veterans to share […]

In the latest in a series of blogs about health care for ex-service personnel, wife Jane (not her real name) gives heartfelt insight into what it is like for the families of veterans scarred by what they have seen and been through: When asked if I would write down my thoughts and experiences of living […]