A major £1.8 million training initiative across English NHS trusts will equip staff to identify and support veterans, reservists and their families, marking every trust as ‘Veteran Aware’
NHS England, alongside the Ministry of Defence and Department of Health and Social Care, has launched a new nationwide programme to strengthen healthcare for the Armed Forces community. Backed by £1.8 million, the initiative will train NHS staff across England to recognise patients with a military background and deliver personalised, veteran-aware care.
£1.8m initiative for dedicated NHS training
NHS workers will receive dedicated training to help them identify patients with an armed forces background and provide the proper support.
Armed Forces personnel, including veterans, serving personnel, reservists and their families, can require specialist care for physical injuries sustained in service, mental health support for conditions like PTSD and depression.
Many veterans and their families struggle with the civilian healthcare system. They may not automatically identify as veterans to NHS staff, putting them at risk of missing out on bespoke services.
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: “As we mark Remembrance Sunday, we’re honouring our Armed Forces not just with words, but with action. We owe serving personnel and veterans nothing less than the best.
Too many of our Armed Forces, both serving and veterans, face a system that doesn’t fully understand their needs – that changes today.
This new training programme will help NHS staff across England give our Armed Forces community the personalised care they deserve. Through our Plan for Change, the NHS will deliver for those who have delivered for our nation.”
Delivering personalised healthcare to the Armed Forces
The new programme will ensure NHS staff are trained to deliver personalised and targeted healthcare to Armed Forces personnel and their families. Every NHS trust in the country is now accredited as ‘Veteran Aware’, to understand further and recognise the health needs of Britain’s Armed Forces.
The programme is led by the Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance (VCHA); therefore, the NHS can identify patients with an armed forces background, train staff to understand their needs, and embed Armed Forces-friendly practices across their services.
Sir Nick Pope, Chair, the Confederation of Service Charities (Cobseo), said: “Most of our service personnel join well, serve well, and leave well to continue leading valued and fulfilled lives, but there are some members of our Armed Forces Community who require additional specialised care as a result of service.
This announcement of £1.8million to provide personalised healthcare for veterans, serving personnel, reservists and their families is a welcomed development, and demonstrates the ongoing commitment for dedicated care for those in need who have often given the most.”
James Needham, CEO, Help for Heroes, said: ” As we remember the fallen, we also remain at the side of those living with the impact of their service. Our Armed Forces community deserves care that truly recognises their unique experiences and needs, and this is a positive step forward in improving how veterans are supported across England.”
A spokesperson for SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity, said: “SSAFA knows that the ‘Armed Forces community’ includes a vast range of people – those serving or retired, regulars and reserves, and their families – because it’s who we help day in, day out.
Reservists work in our hospitals and those leaving the military routinely find a second career in NHS Trusts, as do many spouses of those in the Royal Navy, Army, and RAF, so there’s already a good understanding between the Armed Forces and NHS worlds.”
