Armed Forces Veteran Accredited - Woodhouse Medical Practice

Did you know that we are an Armed Forces Veteran friendly accredited GP practice?

We have been accredited as an armed forces veteran friendly GP practice.

A veteran is anyone who has served for at least one day in the Armed Forces, whether regular or reserve. It means the same as ‘ex service personnel’ or ‘ex-forces’.

This also applies to Merchant Navy seafarers and fishermen who have served in a vessel when it was being used for military operations by the armed forces.

It depends on what you need.

All veterans are entitled to priority NHS treatment for any condition related to their service. This includes veterans who don’t receive a war pension.

Priority treatment includes assessment, treatment, aids and appliances for conditions accepted as being due to their service.

If you no longer have a copy of your health record summary from when you were in the armed forces, find out how individuals can obtain their own records (service or medical) from the requests for personal data and service records on GOV.UK.

If you’re a war pensioner who needs medical treatment or care because you were disabled while serving in the armed forces during war, you should seek advice and help from Veterans UK and the Veterans Welfare Service.

If you need items like a stairlift, bathroom adaptations or personal alarm system, Veterans UK and the Veterans Welfare Service can help you apply for these from your local social services.

Yes. There are treatments available to help people cope with the psychological consequences of exposure to traumatic events, including trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).

The NHS and other partners can deliver these services for anyone who needs them, and they also have services specifically aimed at helping veterans.

Maybe. Your GP may be able to get you referred more quickly for any hospital care or treatment that’s needed. But this is subject to the clinical needs of others.

The Ex-Services Homes Referral Agency (ESHRA) has a database of all ex-service nursing, convalescent and respite care homes in the UK.

Veterans Gateway can help you get in touch with local services and has lots of information on topics such as housing, finances and wellbeing. You can also contact one of their advisers by phone or email.

Other services available for veterans.

Help for Heroes was founded in 2007 to provide direct, practical support for wounded, injured and sick Service Personnel and veterans and their loved ones from any conflict. They have four recovery centres in the UK offering medical care, guidance, support and advice. Patients can self-refer or be referred by a professional. Once referred, an initial assessment will take place within one to two weeks and there is no waiting list for treatment. For further information, click here

Combat Stress is the UK’s leading mental health charity for veterans. They provide free specialised clinical treatment and support to ex-servicemen and women across the UK with mental health conditions. Combat Stress has a strategic partnership with the MOD and the Department of Health. This enables them to work directly with NHS mental health trusts and Armed Forces Health Networks to develop services suitable for military veterans. For further information, click here.

Blesma supports limbless veterans to lead independent and fulfilling lives. Blesma are dedicated to assisting serving and ex-service men and women who have suffered life-changing limb loss or the use of a limb, an eye or loss of sight. They support these men and women in their communities throughout the UK and provide centralised assistance to those living overseas.

Blesma works closely with the NHS to ensure the latest advances in the relevant medical fields are converted into practical solutions that can benefit all of their members. They do not provide members’ prosthetics, but they do help prosthetists develop their skills at undergraduate and PhD level.

Anyone fitted for a prosthesis will know that the socket fit is paramount and it is often the cause of most issues. Blesma keeps up to date with developments in this area and encourages research and development, maintaining close links with NHS national teams, Defence Medical Services (particularly the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre at Headley Court) and industry.

For further information, click here.