Health boost for Britain's forces as New NHS Programme Launches

• Thousands of veterans, serving personnel, reservists, and their families to receive better healthcare in recognition of their service
• Major new NHS programme, backed by £1.8 million, will see NHS staff receive training to identify patients with Armed Forces backgrounds and provide more targeted, personalised care
• Every NHS trust in England now Armed-Forces-friendly as part of drive to become ‘Veteran Aware'

The nation's Armed Forces community are set to receive better and more personalised healthcare support in recognition of their service to this country, thanks to a major new training programme for NHS staff.

NHS workers will receive dedicated training to help them identify patients with an armed forces backgrounds and provide the right support. GPs, doctors, nurses, therapists and managers will work with regional trainers to embed this support across the NHS.

Armed Forces personnel, including veterans, serving personnel, reservists and their families, can require specialised care for physical injuries sustained in service, as well as mental health support for conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression.

Many veterans and their families also struggle to navigate civilian healthcare systems and may not self-identify as veterans to NHS staff, putting them at risk of missing out on the bespoke services that are already available.

Ian, 63, from Leicestershire, was one of the first responders to the 1981 Chelsea Barracks bombing and later served as a combat medic in Iraq in 2003. Despite a 19-year career as an NHS paramedic after leaving the forces, Ian has struggled to access the care he needs.  He believes that whilst many NHS services consider themselves ‘veteran friendly', there remains little understanding of the pressures of combat deployment and its lifelong effects.

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.

Defence Secretary John Healey, said:

This government will serve our veterans and our Armed Forces just as they have served us. 

These improvements to healthcare for veterans, military personnel and their families will help to ensure they can access the bespoke support and care they need and deserve. 

As we come together across the nation in Remembrance, we pay our respects to all those who have served, and we honour the contributions of our Armed Forces who safeguard the freedoms and peace we enjoy today.

Gregg Stevenson MBE, is a former soldier and Paralympics champion who now works with the Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance (VCHA) as a regional trainer for the North West of England. He has witnessed the real-life impact of education and training for NHS staff caring for the Armed Forces community.

His story highlights how improved understanding of the unique needs of serving personnel, reservists, veterans, and their families enables NHS staff to deliver more inclusive, informed, and compassionate care.

You can hear more about his story here.

Gregg Stevenson MBE, 41 years old, from Colne said:

After being injured in Afghanistan, I never imagined I'd one day be working in the NHS – yet here I am, 15 years on, helping to train and educate staff to better understand and meet the health needs of the Armed Forces community.

The NHS was there for me when I sustained life-changing injuries, and the care I received inspired me to give back. This new training programme is vital and I'm urging NHS colleagues to take part so that no member of our Armed Forces community is left behind.

Kate Davies CBE, National Director for Armed Forces Health, NHS England, said:

This Remembrance Day we honour our incredible Armed Forces community – both serving personnel and veterans – who have dedicated themselves to our country, by ensuring they receive the high-quality, specialised care they deserve.

This programme, developed with experts in armed forces healthcare and those with lived experience, will equip NHS staff with the skills to better support the unique needs of these patients, and make sure the NHS is there for them when they need us most.

The new programme – backed by £1.8 million over three years – is being rolled out across England on 10 November to ensure NHS staff across the country are trained to deliver personalised and targeted healthcare to Armed Forces personnel and their families.

It comes as every NHS trust in the country has been accredited as ‘Veteran Aware' as part of a major drive to understand and recognise the unique health needs of Britain's Armed Forces.

The achievement, led by the Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance (VCHA), means trusts identify patients with an armed forces background, train staff to understand their needs, and embed Armed Forces-friendly practices across their services.

The national training and education plan will support all NHS bodies to demonstrate their commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant.

This will ensure those who serve or have served, and their families, are treated fairly and not disadvantaged because of their service in the armed forces and reduce inequalities and variation in veterans' healthcare.

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. 

However, the scheme announced today, which we welcome, will significantly enhance the understanding of the unique and often challenging circumstances faced by the whole Armed Forces community, and SSAFA looks forward to seeing its implementation and the benefits it will bring.” 

Louise Ansari, Chief Executive, Healthwatch England: 

Armed forces veterans and their families will welcome the news that they will get more personalised care from NHS services. 

We hear from veterans who struggle to get the care they need because doctors and NHS staff aren't familiar with their unique medical needs, often resulting from injuries, stresses or traumas that they experienced during their service years. 

Training NHS staff to provide care that addresses the unique needs of veterans is a vital step towards ensuring those who served in our armed forces can live healthy and well in civilian life.

Caroline Waterfield   Director of Development and Employment, NHS Employers, part of the NHS Confederation, said: 

NHS Employers has been proud to support our members to become more inclusive employers for people with Armed Forces backgrounds – both after their service and as reservists.

Our members know first-hand the immense benefit that people with Armed Forces backgrounds bring to the NHS workforce, and these staff are often at the forefront of initiatives to deliver personalised care and support programmes to those patients who share their experience.

It's fantastic to see that every trust in England is now Armed-Forces friendly – this is a testament to the hard work of employers who are committed to ensuring the NHS workforce and the care the workforce provide are accessible to the whole community in their local area.

Daniel Elkeles, Chief Executive, NHS Providers, said:

NHS trusts are proud to support our Armed Forces and their families. It's great to see that every trust is now ‘veteran aware'.

Veterans have specific health needs therefore it's important that NHS staff are trained to recognise and respond to those to make sure that people from military backgrounds receive the best care possible.