Veterans: Mental Health Services
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of access of veterans to healthcare professionals who specialise in their unique mental health challenges.
Answered by Mr Calvin Bailey
This Government is fully committed to ensuring that veterans have access to the support they need for their health.
NHS England delivers Op COURAGE, a fully integrated, specialist mental health service for veterans, which has received over 35,000 referrals. The Government has provided over £25 million to deliver Op COURAGE this financial year and has launched a new programme to deliver dedicated training for NHS staff to help them identify and support patients with a military background.
In addition, NHS England delivers Op RESTORE, a specialist care and support service to veterans who have physical health problems as a result of their time in the Armed Forces, which has received over 1,000 referrals.
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