Veterans: Health Services

(asked on 21st February 2020) - View Source

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Office for Veterans Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on support for veterans who are medically discharged from the armed forces.


Answered by
Johnny Mercer Portrait
Johnny Mercer
Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)
This question was answered on 2nd March 2020

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) takes the wellbeing of all veterans very seriously. MOD Ministers and officials have regular meetings with their counterparts in the Department for Health and Social Care and NHS England to ensure that the health needs of veterans in England, including those who are medically discharged, are properly considered.

Within the UK, veterans, including those who are medically discharged, access public sector services in the same way as their fellow civilians, through a combination of UK Government, Devolved Government and local authority provision. The unique circumstances of each nation and region mean that in practice the level and method of service can, and should, be different as they are tailored to local needs, even if the principles and broad outcomes are consistent. The UK Government will continue to work with service deliverers across the UK who support veterans to collect and analyse data to ensure that appropriate support is provided for those veterans who need it most.

As part of the ten-year vision articulated in the Strategy for our Veterans, in October 2019 the Ministry of Defence introduced a ‘Defence Holistic Transition’ policy. ‘Defence Transition Services’ (DTS) was established at the same time, to support those Service leavers who face the greatest challenges to making a successful transition to civilian life, including those who are medically discharged. The full-spectrum service is available to all Service leavers exiting the Armed Forces and is based on the needs of the individual, providing the specific support they may need and interventions to ensure issues are resolved. This support extends for two years after discharge and longer if necessary.

The long-established Career Transition Partnership (CTP) provides guidance to Service leavers in their transition from military to civilian life through a range of career and employment support services including skills development workshops, seminars, resettlement training advice, vocational training courses, career consultancy, one-to-one sessions and job finding support. A bespoke service is provided for the most vulnerable leavers through the CTP resettlement pathway.?This function is called CTP Assist and delivers an individualised, needs-based service to those?Service personnel who face the greatest barriers to employment as a consequence of their medical conditions.?This comprehensive employment support is made available to all Service personnel subject to medical discharge in order to maximise their?successful transition to civilian life.?All military personnel can access CTP two years before leaving and within two years of leaving; beyond that point they can access The Forces Employment Charity (RFEA) which provides support for life.

Statistics on the estimated employment outcomes for ex-Service personnel who used the services provided by CTP, including those who have been medically discharged, can be accessed at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/career-transition-partnership-ex-service-personnel-employment-outcomes-statistics-index. The MOD also publishes annual statistical information on medical discharges among UK Regular Service personnel: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/medical-discharges-among-uk-service-personnel-statistics-index

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