Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to guarantee that NHS mental health services are meeting the needs of veterans and Armed Forces families.
Answered on
3 February 2017
In 2016, NHS England completed an audit of the current veterans’ mental health services that were put in place following the Fighting Fit report by Dr Andrew Murrison MP. This included an extensive consultation exercise which sought the views and experiences of veterans, family members, service charities and commissioners and explored the reasons why some had not engaged or received support and treatment.
The findings of the audit have fed into the veterans’ mental health service procurement NHS England are currently undertaking. From April 2017, these services will offer evidence-based and consistent support across England that best meets the needs of veterans’, family members and serving personnel leaving the forces.
Members of the armed forces community are also able to make full use of the range of mental health services that NHS England offer, including Improving Access to Psychological Therapies, and will benefit from the commitments made in the Mental Health Five Year Forward View.
Services in the rest of the United Kingdom are a matter for the devolved administrations.