Veterans Support

NHS Veteran Friendly Practice

NHS England and NHS Improvement are working with the Royal Collage of General Practitioners to accredit GP practices as 'veteran friendly'. This programme enables practice to deliver the best possible care and treatment for patients who have served in the armed forces.

Nearly 1,000 GP practices in England are already accredited through this programme. The RCGP support these practices to identify and code their veterans, and to appoint a clinical lead who undertakes training and other activities related to veteran healthcare.

The Royal Collage of General Practitioners provide accredited practices with an information pack to help increase their understanding of the health needs of veterans, and the services available to them. Therefore, our clinicians are fully trained to deal with any sensitive issues you may have as a veteran. 

Please see link below.

 

What is a Veteran

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.

There are around 2.4 million British Armed Forces Veterans in Great Britain, of whom 89% are male and 60% are aged 65 and over. Clinical commissioning groups are responsible for the commissioning of health services for veterans, reservists and service families registered with NHS GPs in their area. However, there is evidence that some GPs are unsure of how many of these individuals are registered with their practice and more guidance is needed on how to meet the health needs of these patient groups.

About 18,000 service people move back into civilian life every year. While 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.

We are a armed forces veteran friendly accredited GP practice. This means that, as part of the health and commitments of the armed forces covenant, we have a dedicated clinician who has specialist knowledge of military related health conditions and veteran specific health services. This is important in helping ex-forces to get the best care and treatment.

If you feel you need any support from us at Lime Grove Medical Centre, please call Reception on 01629 581586 to arrange an appointment with a GP.

Please follow the link below to see how we can support you.