Asked by: Kevin Foster (Conservative - Torbay)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data the Office for Veterans' Affairs holds on the number and proportion of veterans who have informed their GP that they served in the armed forces.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The information requested is not held centrally. Integrated care boards are encouraged to work with health providers in their area, including general practice (GP) surgeries, to ensure patient needs are met. The 2024/25 GP contract will introduce a requirement that GPs must have due regard for the requirements, needs, and circumstances of Armed Forces Veterans, when offering services and making onward referrals. In addition, the Veteran Friendly GP Practices, launched in 2018, is a voluntary scheme which enables GPs to deliver the best possible care and treatment for veterans and their families, including signposting and referrals to specialist services. As of March 2024, 85% of primary care networks have a veteran-friendly accredited GP in their area, and 83% of acute trusts have been accredited as veteran-aware.