Veterans

NHS Care For The Armed Forces Community

The NHS is responsible for providing all hospital and most community services for serving personnel (except for mental health, general practice and rehabilitation services). The NHS also provides nearly all community, general practice and hospital services for the families of serving personnel, reservists and veterans. Included as part of this are the following dedicated services and initiatives to support the Armed Forces community.

Op COURAGE: the Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Service

Op COURAGE is an NHS mental health specialist service designed to help serving personnel due to leave the military, reservists, armed forces veterans and their families.

Is Op COURAGE the same as TILS, CTS and HIS?

How Op COURAGE can help

Op COURAGE can help you and your family with a range of support and treatment, including:

supporting you with intensive emergency care and treatment if you’re in a crisis
helping you transition from military to civilian life by providing mental health care with Defence Medical Services (DMS)
supporting armed forces families affected by mental health problems, including helping you access local services
helping you recognise and treat early signs of mental health problems as well as more advanced mental health conditions and psychological trauma
helping you to access other NHS mental health services if you need them, such as finding an NHS psychological therapies service (IAPT) and eating disorder services
helping you get in touch with charities and local organisations who can support your wider health and wellbeing needs, such as housing, relationships, finances, employment, drug and alcohol misuse and social support

Find out more about Op COURAGE.

Veterans Trauma Network (VTN)

The VTN provides care and treatment to those with a service-attributable physical health condition.

Located in 12 major trauma centres (Plymouth, Oxford, London (three centres), Birmingham, Nottingham, Liverpool, Leeds, Cambridge, Brighton and Middlesbrough), with links to five specialist NHS trusts (Frimley Park, Preston, Salisbury, East Grinstead), the network works closely with Defence Medical Services (DMS), national centres of clinical expertise, the TILS and CTS, as well as military charities, to provide a complete package of care.

It is run largely by healthcare professionals who are either veterans or serving personnel.

GPs can email england.veteranstraumanetwork@nhs.net to refer veterans to the service.

Veterans Prosthetics Panel (VPP)

The VPP provides funding on a named veteran basis to NHS Disablement Service Centres (DSC) to ensure that veterans who have service related limb loss can access high quality prosthetics regardless of which DSC they attend.

More information about NHS services available to those with physical injuries.

Armed Forces Personnel in Transition: Integrated Personal Commissioning for Veterans Framework (IPC4V)

IPC4V is a personalised care approach for serving personnel who have complex and enduring physical, neurological and mental health conditions that are attributable to injury whilst in service.

It provides a framework for effectively planning and delivering personalised care in line with the Armed Forces Covenant. Central to this is an improved discharge planning process, starting approximately nine months before these individuals leave the military.

This means that the MOD, health and social care, Armed Forces charities and other organisations involved in the care of these individuals are brought together at an earlier point in the care pathway, ensuring care and support arrangements are in place as they transition to civilian life and beyond.

Personalised Care For Veterans With a Long Term Physical, Mental or Neurological Health Condition or Disability

Ex-forces with a complex and life-long health condition may be eligible for the veterans personalised care programme.

Eligible individuals will have a single personalised care plan for all their health and wellbeing needs that is developed with them and a range of organisations, including health and social care and military charities.

To apply, individuals should contact their local clinical commissioning group.

The Veterans' Gateway

The Veterans’ Gateway service is the first point of contact for all Tri-Service veterans, and their families. Its expert content covers welfare areas: housing, employment, finances, living independently, mental wellbeing, families and communities, and physical health.

Its unique support (both in the UK and abroad) is funded by the Armed Forces Covenant. And supported by charities and organisations and individuals, including the the National Health Service (NHS), the Government of the United Kingdom (GOV.UK) and the Ministry of Defence (MOD).

Help For Heroes

Help For Heroes helps veterans, and those still serving, by providing physical, psychological, financial and welfare support for as long as they need it. They also support families, because they too can be affected by their loved one’s wounds.

The Royal British Legion

The Royal British Legion is at the heart of a national network that supports our Armed Forces community.

They are there through thick and thin – ensuring their unique contribution is never forgotten.

They are the country’s largest Armed Forces charity, with 180,000 members, 110,000 volunteers and a network of partners and charities; helping them give support wherever and whenever it’s needed.

Veterans UK

Veterans UK provide free support for veterans and their families, including a helpline, Veterans Welfare Service, Defence Transition Services and injury/bereavement compensation scheme payments.

Veterans UK is part of the Ministry of Defence (MOD). They help ex-service personnel get appropriate support from government, local authorities, independent bodies and the charity sector.

They also provide welfare support for veterans of any age, and their families through the Veterans Welfare Service and the Veterans UK helpline: 0808 1914 2 18.