A veteran is someone who has served in the armed forces for at least 1 day. There are around 2.4 million veterans in Great Britain.
When servicemen and women leave the armed forces, their healthcare is the responsibility of the NHS.
It's very important for continuing healthcare that you register with an NHS GP and remember to tell them that you have served. This will help your GP to better understand any service-related health conditions that you may have and ensure that you are referred, where appropriate, to dedicated services for ex-forces.
If you've recently left the armed forces, it's important to give your GP the paperwork that your military medical centre gave you, including any medical records. This will help to ensure your military health record transfers to your NHS health record. It will also give your GP information on your health and ensure that any ongoing care and treatment is continued.
Being flagged as a veteran in your NHS medical notes will help to ensure that you are able to access dedicated services for those who have served in the UK armed forces. These include services for mental health and physical health conditions.
Contact your GP Surgery for further information.
Veteran Patient Charter
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