Navigating NHS and veterans' services for a family member with a service background

The starting point: telling the GP

Many veterans do not mention their service background to their GP � and as a result, they do not access the NHS pathways they are entitled to. The single most important first step is making sure the GP knows about the person's military service and has it recorded.

NHS England has a network of veteran-friendly accredited GP practices � practices that have training in veteran health and are better placed to recognise and respond to service-related conditions. If possible, it is worth checking whether the person's current GP practice has this accreditation, and switching if a better-placed practice is nearby.

The Armed Forces Covenant commits NHS organisations to ensuring veterans receive priority access to care for service-related conditions. But this only works if the clinical team knows someone is a veteran.

NHS priority treatment: what it means in practice

Common service-related conditions

Conditions that may be linked to military service � and therefore potentially eligible for priority treatment � include: musculoskeletal injuries and chronic pain, hearing loss (particularly from noise exposure), PTSD and other trauma-related mental health conditions, respiratory conditions related to deployment environments, and the long-term effects of blast injury.

Many veterans carry the effects of service for years before connecting them to their time in the military, or before seeking help. It is never too late to raise this with a GP, and an occupational history going back to service can be relevant to current health problems even decades later.

Veteran-specific NHS mental health services

These services exist in addition to standard NHS mental health services � not instead of them. If a standard referral has been made, it is worth asking the GP whether a veteran-specific pathway would be more appropriate.

War Pension and compensation

Veterans who suffered injury, illness or death as a result of service may be entitled to a War Pension (for service before 6 April 2005) or a payment under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (for service on or after that date). These are administered by Veterans UK.

Many veterans � particularly older ones � never made a claim, or made a claim that was unsuccessful and did not appeal. SSAFA and the Royal British Legion both have welfare advisers who can review entitlements and help with claims or appeals where there is a case to be made.

Attendance Allowance and other disability-related benefits may also be relevant if the person's service-related condition now affects their daily life. These are separate from and additional to any War Pension.

Practical support organisations

Where to start

• Make sure the veteran's GP knows about their service background and has it on record
• Ask the GP specifically whether any current health conditions may be service-related � and whether priority treatment applies
• Contact SSAFA or the Royal British Legion for a welfare review � they can identify entitlements that may have been missed
• If mental health is a concern, ask the GP about veteran-specific NHS mental health pathways rather than standard community mental health referrals
• Check whether the local GP practice is a veteran-friendly accredited practice � NHS England maintains a list

A note on Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

Veteran-specific NHS mental health services and the veteran-friendly GP accreditation scheme are primarily England-based, though Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own commitments under the Armed Forces Covenant and some parallel provisions.

SSAFA and the Royal British Legion operate UK-wide and are a reliable first point of contact for families in any part of the UK who are not sure what is available locally.