Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to help war veterans with mental illness.

All of the recommendations put forward by the hon Member for South West Wiltshire Dr Andrew Murrison in his report on Armed Forces and veterans' mental health – ‘Fighting Fit' - in 2010 have been implemented by the Department and the National Health Service in England in relation to services for veterans and by the Ministry of Defence for serving personnel.

Funding of £7.2 million is providing 10 veteran mental health teams across England. Each team provides mental health services that are specifically tailored to meet their local veteran population's needs and requirements. A National Veteran Mental Health Network has been established to identify and disseminate good practice across England and a national 24-hour veteran mental health helpline has been put in place.

An online, mental health well-being and counselling service for Armed Forces, their families and veterans – the Big White Wall - has also been developed. Working with the Royal College of General Practitioners we have put in place an e-learning training package for general practitioners (GPs). Health Education England has been mandated to provide training that will be available from summer 2015 to ensure that there will be a specialist GP in every local area trained in both the physical and mental health needs of veterans.

NHS England has commissioned Combat Stress to provide an acute Post Traumatic Stress Disorder services for veterans.