Veteran-Friendly Accredited Practice

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Veterans are sometimes reluctant to get help from clinicians due to concerns they won’t be understood, so this scheme helps to ensure GPs are delivering the best possible care and treatment to veterans who have served in the UK Armed Forces and their families.

We are delighted to be Veteran Friendly accredited, part of which is recognising veterans have distinct health needs, and providing access to a range of veteran-specific services and resources to help improve their experiences and health outcomes.

Who counts as a veteran?

You are a veteran if you have served in the UK Armed Forces for at least 1 day, whether regular or reserve, which includes the British Army, Royal Navy, Royal Air Force, Royal Marines and Merchant Navy. It means the same as ‘ex-service personnel’. Non-mobilised reservists are also regarded as veterans. It doesn’t matter how long ago you served.

The same services are offered to veterans’ families and carers.

If you are a mobilised reservist registered with Defence Medical Services (DMS), there is separate information about accessing NHS healthcare while in active service.

What do you need to do?

• If you live in our catchment area, register with us now. Don’t wait until you need treatment – you may be able to access treatment faster if you are already registered with us.
• Let us know if you are a veteran, a family member, or a carer for a veteran – either at registration, or at any time. If we know, it will help your GP to better understand your health, including any health problems related to your service. It will also help make sure you're referred to dedicated services for veterans where appropriate.

What can we do to help?

Whilst many aspects of health needs are the same as for the general public, there are sometimes significant differences – particularly in relation to conditions attributable to service life, and their impact upon families.

These differences can be reflected in the way in which healthcare is delivered, the range and types of some specific services provided, and the long-term impact upon patients and families.

Our practice has knowledge of specialist NHS services designed specifically for members of the armed forces. For your reference, some of the services available are listed by the NHS Healthcare for the armed forces.

Do not worry about sharing information about your time in the armed forces. GPs, nurses and other people working in the NHS are bound by law to deliver a confidential service. Any referrals made will only be done with your agreement.

Services available

A detailed list of services available is provided by the NHS.

This includes support provided by the NHS for Mental Health and Wellbeing, as well as physical health problems caused by service. There is also a range of wider support covering financial help, disablement and prosthetics, sexual assault and abuse, and welfare concerns.