Hertfordshire’s Armed Forces community wants help to navigate the NHS

Building on our previous research into improving healthcare for veterans, our latest Service and Care: The Healthcare Journey of the Armed Forces Community Report took a broader approach to hear from the armed forces community as a whole, to find out if anything has improved in recent years and what still needs to be done.

Although many experienced similar issues as the general population, some in the armed forces community said they faced challenges in receiving the priority treatment they were entitled to, for conditions resulting from their military service. They also struggled to understand and access the NHS because healthcare provision within the military operated very differently.

Mental health was a particular difficulty faced by many of those we spoke to. Some struggled to access support, while others were reluctant to use mental health services due to stigma.

What did people tell us?

The key themes that came out of our research included:

NHS services: Need to provide more signposting and support to the armed forces community. This includes:

• more training, knowledge and understanding for healthcare professionals about the specific needs of this community;
• greater awareness of the Veteran Friendly or Veteran Aware accreditation schemes;
• NHS services should ensure military families are aware of the help available to them.

“I know everyone’s in the same boat, we’re all waiting for the NHS, but we’ve served our country, we gave up our life for years and it kind of feels we’re at the bottom of the list.”

“There’s nothing really to tick that I remember … when I first signed up to say I’m a veteran so that needs to be more clear because I didn’t know.”

 

Mental health: Services lacked understanding of the specific experiences of the armed forces community and the negative impact that serving had on their mental health. Some respondents also said stigma around accessing mental health support was a barrier that made some reluctant to accept help. 

“I do know there is quite a lot of people out there who have taken their own lives through not having this support for their mental health.”

“When I got sent for CBT with the specialist we were talking about the same thing every time, it wasn’t geared towards a veteran thing. It didn’t really look deeply into my case, they used a one size fits all approach rather than a specific approach that looks at the person and their background.”

 

GP practices: Need to be proactive in identifying members of the armed forces. Many respondents had not informed their GP practice of their military background and/or did not know if this information was on their patient records.

“When I moved to this particular GP practice, I tried telling them and I tried at the desk and the interest rate was, let’s say zero or negative.”

“I think there needs to be more training for GP surgeries and hospitals on the type of care the military personnel need. It’s something I feel really strongly about.” 

 

The NHS and the military need to work more effectively together: Veterans and reservists shared the challenges they faced in obtaining their medical records from the military, or having them transferred to the NHS. The need for better collaboration was emphasised.

“I never had my medical notes. In hindsight the solider needs to come out with 20 years, or at least 5 years of medical so that I can give it to a doctor, here’s my medical notes, do what you wish with them, but at least you know my background.”

“Access to a dedicated armed forces liaison within GP practices could have facilitated a smoother transition…appoint dedicated staff within NHS facilities to act as liaisons for veterans, ensuring their unique needs are understood and addressed.” 

 

GP practice and NHS Trust websites: Need to have more information available about registering as a member of the armed forces community and/or signposting to specialised services and support. NHS Trusts had very limited information, with the exception of Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust which is an example of good practice.

“I remember receiving a discharge booklet and that would be the opportunity to include the available help to you as an individual when you leave. The helplines, the websites, whatever it is, that’s the place of it to be.”

“So you’ve gone from a regimented thing to nothing, there’s no guidance on how you’re supposed to navigate the civilian life.” 

 

“We appreciate all of the armed forces community that took the time to share their experiences of accessing healthcare services locally. The ICB, along with our partners, are committed to ensuring members of the Armed Forces Community have fair and easy access to health and social care services. We are now working with Change Grow Live to improve services specifically for Hertfordshire AFC with these recommendations in mind including working with GP practices and local Trusts to ensure they have good information available for the community to access and encourage patients to register as members of the armed forces community.”

Harper Brown - Director for Integrated Specialised Care, Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care Board