So how are we doing this in Primary Care? Over the next few years, the NHS has pledged to ensure all GPs in England are equipped to best serve our patients who are Service Veterans, along with their families. By way of background there are currently approximately 2.4 million veterans, with2500 personnel leaving the Armed Forces every year on medical grounds. 52% of these have potentially long-term illnesses or disabilities due to the special circumstances they have found themselves in during their working lives, for example relinquishing their some of their civil liberties and putting themselves in harms way to protect others and a substantial increase in their risk of harm. This is 17% higher than the average for the general population. Many of these people will leave with mental health disorders, PTSD and alcohol misuse problems. It takes a former serving member of the Armed Forces an average of 4 years to seek help.

Here at Milborne Port Surgery we are proud to have been accredited as ‘veteran friendly’ by NHS England and we are able to offer additional help in signposting relevant services and organisations to really make a difference. Leading the charge is Robert, now working here as a Care Navigator, who spend 28 years working for the Royal Navy and the latter part of his MOD career in Community Relations and Outreach. He is very keen to ensure that we identify all our veterans and their families to get them the best possible care. Please make yourselves known if you telephone or visit the surgery or send us an Askmygp so that we can record your service.

Thank you

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