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Veterans: Mental Health Services

Asked by Alex BrewerLiberal DemocratMinistry of DefenceTabled Answered 23 June 2026UIN 9990

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of appointing a veteran’s mental health officer.

Answered by Mr Calvin Bailey

The Government is fully committed to ensure veterans and their families can access support across the country, when and where it is needed.

NHS England offers Op COURAGE, a specialist mental health and wellbeing service for service leavers, reservists and veterans. It has received over 35,000 referrals to date. Importantly, unlike many other services, Op COURAGE accepts self-referral, empowering patients to take control of their care needs, with over one third of all referrals were made directly by veterans.

Alongside this, we launched the £50 million VALOUR programme, which will give veterans across the UK easier access to the essential care and support available to them.

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