People leaving the Armed Forces become the responsibility of the NHS although the Ministry of Defence meets the individual costs of treating some veterans for conditions related to their service.
The NHS provides most of the support and intervention required, through both General Practitioners and specialist services. The Ministry of Defence also provide a range of services, including a network of Regional Welfare Workers, access to psychological help and residential care at one of the three centres run by Combat Stress, a charity largely funded by the MoD.
This is appropriate as many servicemen express a strong preference for their health needs, both during and after active service, to be met within the military network.
The Department of Health is working closely with the Ministry of
Defence to ensure that our two services work more closely together and
is piloting new arrangements aimed at improving access for veterans in
six mental health trusts. Theses pilots will be evaluated and lessons
learnt with a view to rolling out best practice nationally.
In November 2008 guidance was produced for Commissioning for the Whole Community PDF
Experts in each of these areas, working together as Special Interest Groups, have produced short Positive Practice Guides giving ‘top-tips' on commissioning IAPT services for those specific communities.
- Black and Minority Ethnic communities PDF
- Older People PDF
- Perinatal care PDF
- Offenders PDF
- Long Terms Condition PDF
- Medically Unexplained Symptoms Positive Practice Guide PDF
- Veterans PDF
- Learning Disability PDF