Veterans face unique challenges in getting the health care they need after they leave the military. Find out how Healthwatch teams across England have been helping veterans to get the care they need.
Why veterans, why now?
Nearly four per cent of the UK population has served in the UK armed forces.
All healthcare services are provided to personnel while they are serving in the armed forces, but when people leave the military, they become responsible for coordinating their own healthcare.
Many of the healthcare challenges that veterans face are caused by injuries or experiences that occurred while they were in the military. However, after leaving the forces many veterans struggle to get the care they need in civilian life, including finding NHS services hard to use. Others say that doctors don’t understand how the stresses of their military careers have affected their health.
As a result, some veterans aren’t getting the care they need.
In 2024, we highlighted some of the barriers facing veterans and their families as they turn to NHS services for their care. One year later, to mark Remembrance Day 2025, we take a look at how Healthwatch teams across England are helping veterans and their families to get the support they need to live healthily in civilian life.
In this article we explain how Healthwatch teams have:
- Made it easier for veterans to get health checks
- Helped veterans get customised care
- Supported veterans in prison
- Raised awareness of services for veterans
- Made information easier for veterans to understand
We also look at:
Better access to health checks
In Warwickshire, the local Healthwatch team ensured that veterans can access free health checks by George Eliot Hospital staff at the Veterans Contact Point in Nuneaton.
Working with the Warwickshire County Council Armed Forces Covenant team and other partners including GPs, NHS Trusts, and veteran support agencies, Healthwatch Warwickshire learned that getting access to primary care, including physical health checks, is challenging for people who have previously served in the UK Armed Forces.
Veterans told Healthwatch Warwickshire of the high standard of care they had grown used to whilst in service, and that health care staff do not always ask about veteran status. When a veteran’s status is known, it does not positively impact the care they receive, and more communication around the eligibility criteria for health checks would also benefit veterans.
After speaking with veterans about their care, Healthwatch Warwickshire approached the Coventry, Warwickshire, and Solihull Armed Forces Community Network and worked with them to find solutions for improving veterans’ and their families’ access to healthcare services.
Due to the programme’s success, South Warwickshire and Rugby councillors are looking at opportunities to improve health care access for veterans in their regions.
Customised care that works for veterans
Involving local people helps services help improve care for everyone by understanding and meeting their unique needs. In Rotherham, veterans can now share their service history with NHS staff via the introduction of a Veterans Health Passport.
Veterans at Rotherham Military Community Veterans Centre (MCVC) told Healthwatch Rotherham they were finding it difficult to match up their military and civilian health records. They wanted an easier way to share their medical history with their NHS care providers.
Working in collaboration with the Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust and the MCVC, a ‘Veterans Health Passport‘ was developed to meet the needs of this community.
The passport helps them access the right level of care without having to repeat their health history at each appointment. This means they have access to support more quickly, more understanding from health professionals about their challenges, and peace of mind knowing their unique medical histories are recognised.
Support for veterans serving time
In Lancashire, Healthwatch Lancashire staff work with local charities and the prison service to help veteran prisoners prepare for their release and reintegration into society.
Veterans often face personal challenges when they leave the armed forces. Many lack a clear career path, and some feel they are missing structure in their lives. Traumas from their service years can also take a toll on their mental health. Sometimes these factors contribute towards veterans experiencing substance abuse issues, financial problems and episodes of violence – leading to run-ins with the law, and ultimately to serving prison sentences. Some even find adjustment to civilian life so hard that living in prison is preferable to living in society.
“The transition from military service to civilian life can be really hard, and some veterans even find comfort in the prison system where the regimented lifestyle is very familiar to them,”
Healthwatch Lancashire staff member who works with veteran prisoners.
Healthwatch Lancashire staff join monthly drop-in sessions for veterans at HMP Kirkham (a Category D prison). These sessions are an opportunity for veterans to raise concerns about issues that are affecting them, which might not be as common in the general prison population. These include mental health challenges resulting from their military service and addressing obstacles they face while adjusting to civilian life. Many prisoners also struggle with arthritis and other joint issues, a result of the stresses placed on their bodies in the military.
By listening to incarcerated veterans, Healthwatch Lancashire is helping those serving time to address some of the problems that contributed to them being handed down prison sentences in the first place. These issues are then raised with the staff at HMP Kirkham and other local organisations working with prisoners. These interventions are leading to better access to healthcare to meet veteran prisoners’ unique needs, making prison sentences a more productive experience for veteran prisoners and helping to prepare them for life in the civilian world.
Raising awareness of services for veterans
In Wakefield, Healthwatch Wakefield learned that many armed forces veterans in the area aren’t aware of the support available for their health and well-being. Healthwatch Wakefield have rectified this ensuring veterans and their families know where to turn for help with their healthcare and what services were available to them.
Healthwatch Wakefield created a one-stop shop guide with details of services like Op COURAGE for mental health help and Op RESTORE for physical health support. The guide also explains what support is available from charities and the government.
So far, nearly 500 visitors have viewed this information via Healthwatch Wakefield’s website, and it is also being shared directly with patients via GP practices. Wakefield Council is also including the guide in the information they provide to local care homes for residents and staff.
Furthermore, because of Healthwatch Wakefield’s research, more NHS services in the local area are being made aware of veterans’ unique needs. 33 GP practices in the Wakefield area are either applying Veteran Friendly Accreditation or renewing their status. The local Integrated Care Board is also running training sessions for all GPs about veteran-specific health needs and why asking about veteran status is important.
Speaking veterans’ language
In County Durham, the local Healthwatch team partnered with the Durham Dales Health Federation (DDHF) and County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust (CDDFT) to make it easier for ex-service personnel to use and understand cancer care.
A team member from Healthwatch County Durham and staff member from the DDHF (both of whom are veterans themselves) provided vital links between the organisations and veterans in the community. Their presence made it easier for veterans to share their thoughts and ideas as they could speak to people with similar experiences and ways of thinking.
“In the forces, they train you to think and talk in a certain way. Don’t tell us, ‘You’ve got cancer, here’s a leaflet with lots of information for you to read’. Just tell us the basics – where we need to be, when we need to be there, and what we need to do. ”
Tony, a Royal Navy veteran and spokesperson for Healthwatch County Durham.
Using wording and ideas shared by veterans, CDDFT rewrote their guidance on cancer care in a tone and style that is more familiar and accessible to people who have served in the armed forces.
As a result of this joint project, updated veteran-specific cancer care guidance is now available in hospitals across the north east, including Durham, Darlington and Sunderland, making it easier for veterans to understand their cancer treatment pathways and to feel supported through their healthcare journeys. The Northern Cancer Alliance has also added a veterans section to ‘My Wellbeing Space’ alongside other resources for people affected by cancer.
Continuing the fight
It’s vital that veterans and their families can access the care they need, and that the unique healthcare challenges facing veterans are addressed.
Local Healthwatch teams, charities and community organisations are helping veterans to find support and get the care they need.
That’s why we’ve set out a number of recommendations to healthcare leaders and other organisations that play a role in veterans’ care:
- NHS England should set an ambition for all GP practices to become Veteran Aware and ensure that they have the training and resources available to help staff to understand and respond to the unique needs of veterans.
- NHS England and the Royal College General Practitioners should help people raise concerns if they think a Veteran-Friendly service is not complying with its obligations, such as referring veterans to specific specialist services, if needed. This can include Op Courage, under the accreditation scheme.
- The Ministry of Defence should review the discharge process to improve assistance to personnel when transitioning from military to civilian healthcare systems in order to avoid a cliff edge in service access.
Where to get help
Are you a veteran who’d like to find out more about what support’s available to you? Here are some organisations that support veterans and their families to get the help they need.