More than half of England’s army veterans have health problems

More than half of England’s army veterans have experienced mental or physical health issues since returning to civilian life, and some are reluctant to share their experiences, a survey has revealed.

The survey of 4,910 veterans, commissioned jointly by the Royal College of GPs (RCGP) and the Office for Veterans’ Affairs (OVA), found that 55% have experienced a health issue potentially related to their service since leaving the armed forces. Over 80% of respondents said their condition had got worse since returning to civilian life.

One in seven of those surveyed said they had not sought help from a healthcare professional. A preference for managing issues alone and the belief that their experience would not be understood by a civilian health professional were the most common reasons given.

This fear of being misunderstood is demonstrated by the finding that 63% of veterans said they would be more likely to seek help if they knew their GP practice was signed up to the Veteran Friendly Accreditation scheme.

More than 3,000 of England’s 6,313 GP practices are accredited, but the survey’s findings have prompted the RCGP – with NHS England and the OVA – to launch an initiative to get more GP practices on to the scheme.

Practices that sign up will be provided with a “simple process” for identifying, understanding and supporting veterans and, where appropriate, referring them to dedicated veterans’ physical and mental health and wellbeing services.

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Source: The Guardian, 25 March 2024