Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent steps his Department has taken to improve the provision of mental health services for (a) current and (b) former members of the armed forces.

The Government is committed to improving the mental health of our Armed Forces and veterans. We are determined to provide the best possible mental healthcare services to our Armed Forces, and to this end work closely with the Departments of Health, the NHS, including the Devolved Administrations and Voluntary and Civil Society organisations.

Defence Medical Services introduced a new care pathway for Armed Forces personnel with common mental health disorders to enhance the care provided by MOD GPs, in line with national best practice. MOD accelerated the roll out of remote ways of working by introducing digital triage, eConsult, and remote video consultation using the AttendAnywhere platform to maintain access to mental health services during COVID-19. Patients can now access specialist mental health services across the UK using secure remote video consultation.

The provision of veterans' mental healthcare is the responsibility of the NHS in England and the Devolved Administrations. Where Personnel leaving the Armed Forces have an enduring need for mental healthcare, we work in partnership with the NHS to ensure continuation of care. The MOD's Departments of Community Mental Health initiative remains accessible for up to six months after discharge, to help veterans during their transition period.

Not only can veterans access all mainstream services, but several bespoke veterans' services have been developed to meet the needs of military personnel, veterans and their families. The bespoke services include the veteran's mental health service 'Op Courage', which has received over 10,000 referrals to date. Op Courage brings together three NHS England veterans' mental health services into a single pathway with a common point of access. Together these services provide a complete mental health care pathway for veterans with individuals benefitting from personalised care plans, ensuring they can access support and treatment both in and out of hours. £17.8 million has been provided for these services this financial year, and an additional £10 million has also been allocated to the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust to distribute to charitable projects supporting veterans' mental health needs.