Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps he has taken to make it easier for veterans to access the health services.

As part of the Government’s continued commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant, veterans are able to access National Health Service provided mainstream and bespoke veteran services.

The NHS in England has improved the health services it offers to veterans over the last four years. This includes spending £10.2 million a year on the current Veterans’ Mental Health services and commissioning a High Impact Service for those individuals nearing crisis.

To help those accessing health via primary care, NHS England and NHS Improvement working with the Royal College of General Practitioners are rolling out the veteran friendly General Practitioner practice accreditation scheme across England. This scheme, which is intended to help ensure practices are equipped to best care for veterans and their families, has already accredited over 700 surgeries.

There is also the Veterans Trauma Network. Located in 10 major trauma centres across England, works closely with range of partners to provide a complete package of care and treatment to those with service-attributable physical health conditions.