Peartree Group Practice is proud to be accredited as a veteran friendly Practice by the Royal College of General Practitioners.
A veteran is someone who has served in the British Armed Forces (Regular or Reserve) for at least one day. Veterans also include any member of the Merchant Marine who has served in a war zone. This includes crew from convoys in World War 2 and more recently in the Falklands conflict and Gulf Wars.
The Armed Forces Covenant states veterans should receive priority treatment for a condition which relates to their service, subject to clinical need and they should be cared for in a way that reflects the nations moral obligation to them. We are committed to following the NHS Patient Charter to ensure that our veterans have access to the help and support they may need following their service.
We understand the unique challenges and health needs that veterans may face, therefore, please tell us if you are a military veteran so that we can make sure you are offered the support and assistance you may need now, or in the future, as a result of your service. It would help us to know in which of the Armed Forces you served, the dates of your service and whether you were discharged or retired due to ill health.
Being accredited by the Royal College of General Practitioners means that a Practice can better identify and treat veterans, refer them, where appropriate, to dedicated NHS services (such as the veterans’ Mental Health Transition, Intervention and Liaison Service (TILS), the Veterans’ Mental Health Complex Treatment Service (CTS) and the Veterans Trauma Network) and capture better data to improve full health provision. It also means that the NHS is better able to meet the health commitments of the Armed Forces Covenant, which state the Armed Forces community, including veterans, should face no disadvantage in accessing health services and should receive priority care for military attributable conditions, subject to clinical need.
Approximately 18,000 service people move back to civilian life every year and whilst most of these individuals have similar levels of health to the general population, approximately 2000 leave on medical grounds.
The top reasons for medical discharge are for issues relating to back, knees, mental health and hearing.
If you have recently left the forces, please give us the paperwork that your military medical centre provided you with, including any medical records. This will help us to ensure your military health record transfers to your NHS health record, providing us with the essential information about your health and ongoing care needs.
You may be concerned about sharing information about your time in the Armed Forces, however please rest assured, the NHS is bound by a confidentiality code of practice. GPs, nurses and other NHS workers are all legally obliged to offer a confidential service.
View our Armed Forces Veteran Friendly Accredited Practice Certificate
If you require specialist support, or would like to talk to someone outside of the Practice, please see the out of hours services available to you listed below:
Op Courage: Op Courage is an NHS mental health specialist service designed to help serving personnel due to leave the military, reservists, armed forces veterans and their families.
Veterans Trauma Network: The Veterans Physical Health and Wellbeing Service is an NHS service that provides specialist care and treatment to veterans who have physical health problems as a result of their time in the Armed Forces.
Veterans Gateway: The Veterans Gateway are the first point of contact for veterans and their families. They can be contacted 24/7 for help with housing, mental wellbeing, finances and more.
