NHS leaders commit to specialist help support for Veterans in every part of the NHS
The pledge comes as NHS England has confirmed that every part of the country now has dedicated mental health services up and running for veterans and as NHS Improvement announces the first 25 hospitals to become ‘Veteran Aware’.
Latest figures show that nearly 5,000 ex-personnel have been referred to the new NHS ‘Transition, Intervention and Liaison’ service (TILS) since it was launched in April 2017, which helps them settle back into civilian life. The service aims to tackle early signs of mental health difficulties and also includes substance misuse prevention and social support such as help with employment, available to all veterans.
Alongside the TILS service the first trusts to be accredited as ‘Veteran Aware’ have been confirmed, which means patients who have served in the UK armed forces will be cared for by frontline staff who have received training and education on their specific needs, such as around mental health, and who can signpost them to local support services. Trusts that have been accredited will display posters in their clinics and waiting areas, encouraging patients to notify staff that they have served in the armed forces.
In the run up to the Armistice centenary, NHS leaders are calling on every NHS hospital and service to get accredited as ‘Veteran Aware’ under the national scheme.
