Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many armed forces veterans who have served in the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (King's, Lancashire and Border) (LANCS) have received treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder in the last five years.

Information on the number of veterans who have served in the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (King's, Lancashire and Border) (LANCS) and received treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in the last five years is not held by the Ministry of Defence (MOD).

The NHS in England and the Devolved Administrations are responsible for the provision of healthcare, including mental healthcare, for veterans. Veterans in England, Scotland and Wales receive priority access to NHS secondary care for Service related conditions, subject to the clinical need of all patients. The MOD also provides support through its Departments of Community Mental Health, and the Veterans and Reserves Mental Health Programme.

In England, veterans and Service personnel approaching discharge benefit from the NHS England Veterans Mental Health Transition, Intervention and Liaison Service (VMH TILs) which increases access to appropriate and timely mental health services. In April 2018 NHS England launched the Veterans Mental Health Complex Treatment Service (VMH CTS) which provides an enhanced service for veterans who have military-attributable complex mental health problems, including PTSD, that have not been resolved earlier in the care/support pathway. Access to the VMH CTS is via a single point of referral from the VMH TILS.

Veterans can also access support services via:

www.gov.uk/mental-health-support-for-the-uk-armed-forces or call the MOD's Veterans UK helpline on 0808 1914 2 18, Combat Stress 24-hour veterans' mental health helpline on 0800 138 1619 or the Veterans Gateway:

https://www.veteransgateway.org.uk/