Asked by: Karen Lumley (Conservative - Redditch)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to prevent cases of mental ill-health among combat veterans.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
The Ministry of Defence takes the mental health of its personnel very seriously. Maintaining good levels of mental health and wellbeing is achieved using a "through life approach" and the application of a wide range of measures based around a model of prevention, early detection and treatment. No system can guarantee to detect every individual at risk of a mental health problem. Nevertheless, measures are in place to increase awareness at all levels, including pre- and post-operational stress management training, a wide range of psychiatric and psychological treatments, and initiatives such as Trauma Risk Management. We are working hard to reduce the stigma that can be attached to mental health issues, and to encourage people to come forward. The Army's "Don't Bottle It Up" campaign is one such initiative.
We also provide a wide range of effective treatments for those who need them. In Iraq and Afghanistan, we deployed uniformed mental health nurses to provide in-theatre care and treatment for our personnel. Theatres were visited by consultant psychiatrists every three months or so, who provided clinical and administrative support.
In the UK, we have a network of military Departments of Community Mental Health (DCMHs), that are located to be convenient for major centres of military population, and that support the provision of healthcare that is available through Service primary care facilities. A wide range of clinically-approved psychiatric and psychological treatments are available, including medication, psychological therapies, and environmental adjustment where appropriate. If required, in-patient care is provided in dedicated psychiatric units through a central contract with an external provider.
Asked by: Karen Lumley (Conservative - Redditch)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many ex-servicemen and women are currently participating in the Veterans and Reserves Mental Health programme in Worcestershire.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
Ex-Service men and women who have deployed since 1982 are eligible to receive assistance from the Veterans and Reserves Mental Health programme (VRMHP), as are reserves who have deployed overseas since 1 January 2003.
All ex-Service personnel referred to the VRMHP will receive a full psychiatric assessment by a Consultant Psychiatrist. This assessment report is then sent on completion to their NHS GP and/or local NHS clinical team with advice on further treatment and care. Since April 2016, this assessment has been provided at the individual’s nearest Ministry of Defence Department of Community Mental Health (DCMH), which for individuals in Worcestershire would most likely be the facility at Donnington, in Shropshire.
From September 2013, referrals to the VRMHP during each 12-month period are as follows:
| Sep 2013 – Aug 2014 | Sep 2014 – Aug 2015 | Sep 2015 – Aug 2016 |
Veterans | 112 | 130 | 186 |
Reserves | 52 | 34 | 25 |
% NHS GP referred | 25% (75% self) | 65% (30% self) | 95% (none self) |
Fewer than five referrals in the above table are recorded as having come from Worcestershire during the most recent 12-month period.
As the table shows, many referrals to the VRMHP initially came from individuals who self-referred. Since 2015, the VRMHP has strongly encouraged all veterans to obtain an NHS GP referral first, in order to obtain a ‘medically informed’ referral. This has meant in years 2015-2016 almost all referrals have come from the NHS GP, with a small proportion (about 5%) coming from NHS secondary mental health services or Service charities.
Asked by: Karen Lumley (Conservative - Redditch)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many referrals have been made by GPs to the Veterans and Reserves Mental Health programme in each of the last three years.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
Ex-Service men and women who have deployed since 1982 are eligible to receive assistance from the Veterans and Reserves Mental Health programme (VRMHP), as are reserves who have deployed overseas since 1 January 2003.
All ex-Service personnel referred to the VRMHP will receive a full psychiatric assessment by a Consultant Psychiatrist. This assessment report is then sent on completion to their NHS GP and/or local NHS clinical team with advice on further treatment and care. Since April 2016, this assessment has been provided at the individual’s nearest Ministry of Defence Department of Community Mental Health (DCMH), which for individuals in Worcestershire would most likely be the facility at Donnington, in Shropshire.
From September 2013, referrals to the VRMHP during each 12-month period are as follows:
| Sep 2013 – Aug 2014 | Sep 2014 – Aug 2015 | Sep 2015 – Aug 2016 |
Veterans | 112 | 130 | 186 |
Reserves | 52 | 34 | 25 |
% NHS GP referred | 25% (75% self) | 65% (30% self) | 95% (none self) |
Fewer than five referrals in the above table are recorded as having come from Worcestershire during the most recent 12-month period.
As the table shows, many referrals to the VRMHP initially came from individuals who self-referred. Since 2015, the VRMHP has strongly encouraged all veterans to obtain an NHS GP referral first, in order to obtain a ‘medically informed’ referral. This has meant in years 2015-2016 almost all referrals have come from the NHS GP, with a small proportion (about 5%) coming from NHS secondary mental health services or Service charities.