More than half of England’s army veterans have experienced mental or physical health problems since returning to civilian life, and some are reluctant to share their experiences, a survey has found.
The survey of 4,910 veterans, commissioned by the Royal College of GPs (RCGP) and the Office for Veterans’ Affairs (OVA), found that 55% have experienced a health problem possibly related to their service since leaving the armed forces . More than 80% of respondents said their condition had worsened since returning to civilian life.
One in seven respondents said they had not sought help from a healthcare provider. A preference for solving problems alone and a belief that their experience would not be understood by a civilian health professional were the most common reasons.
This fear of being misunderstood is reflected in the finding that 63% of veterans said they would be more likely to seek care if they knew their primary care practice was affiliated with the Veteran Friendly Accreditation program.
More than 3,000 of England’s 6,313 GP practices are accredited, but the study’s findings have prompted the RCGP – along with NHS England and the OVA – to launch an initiative to get more GP practices into the programme.
Practices that sign up will have a “simple process” for identifying, understanding and supporting veterans and, where appropriate, referring them to specific physical and mental health and wellbeing services for veterans.
An army veteran – Jon Lynn, a patient at Orchard Surgery in Bromborough, Wirral, said: “After leaving the army I really struggled with both my mental and physical health and was at a low point when I finally decided to seek help at my GP practice and share my service experiences.
“They immediately understood my needs and concerns and were able to quickly refer me to the specialized health care services available for veterans.”
This led to Lynn being diagnosed with PTSD and accessing the support he needed. “I believe that having access to a veteran-friendly accredited primary care practice and sharing my status as a veteran saved both my life and my marriage.”
Practices that become accredited could be crucial for the many veterans who have “struggled in silence with health problems,” he added.
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Johnny Mercer, the Secretary of State for Veterans Affairs, said world-class healthcare was key to making Britain “the best country in the world to be a veteran”.
Urging practices to become accredited, he said: “This quick and simple step will encourage more veterans to contact their GP and say it has helped them. By doing this we can ensure they get the care that is right for them, including access to veteran-specific NHS health services, such as Op Courage.”
Op Courage is a specialist service designed to help people who will be leaving the Armed Forces and is staffed by professionals who come from or have experience of working with the Armed Forces community.