Armed Forces Veteran Friendly GP Practice
We are officially accredited as an Armed Forces Veteran Friendly GP Practice.
Being accredited by the Royal College of General Practitioners means that a practice can better identify and treat veterans, refer them, where appropriate, to dedicated NHS services (such as the Veterans’ Mental Health Transition, Intervention and Liaison service (TILS), the Veterans’ Mental Health Complex Treatment Service (CTS) and the Veterans Trauma Network) and capture better data to improve future health provision. It also means that the NHS is better able to meet the health commitments of the Armed Forces Covenant, which says the Armed Forces community, including veterans, should face no disadvantage in accessing health services and should receive priority care for military attributable conditions, subject to clinical need.
A veteran is someone who has served in the British Armed Forces (Regular or Reserve) for at least one day. Veterans also include any member of the Merchant Marine who has served in a war zone. This includes crew from convoys in World War 2 and more recently in the Falklands conflict and Gulf Wars.
About 18,000 service people move back into civilian life every year and whilst most of these individuals have similar levels of health to the general population, around 2,000 leave on medical grounds. The top reasons for medical discharge are for issues relating to back, knees, mental health and hearing.
If you are a veteran, please let us know.
Support for Military Veterans
20th Anniversary of the Iraq Conflict – Support for Military Veterans
We are conscious that some military veterans might be affected by the 20th anniversary of the Iraq conflict. If you have been affected by this, help is available as the surgery is proud to be accredited as a veteran friendly practice by the Royal College of GPs. Help is also available via Op Courage, the veterans’ mental health and wellbeing service.
Here is some information from the The Veterans Mental Health & Wellbeing Service
Urgent support telephone number: 0800 323 4444