Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on advice issued by NHS England to GPs on veterans' needs; and if he will make a statement.

Ministry of Defence (MOD) Ministers and officials have regular meetings with their counterparts in the Department for Health and Social Care and NHS England to ensure that the health needs of veterans in England are properly considered.

All Service leavers are encouraged to register with an NHS GP wherever they settle in England or the Devolved Administrations to ensure that they have access to a doctor when they need it and that their veteran status is recorded in their patient notes. This ensures that they can access veterans’ bespoke health services provided by the NHS and access priority treatment in England, Scotland and Wales for conditions which relate to their time in service, subject to clinical need.

The MOD welcomes the work being taken forward by the NHS and the Royal College of General Practitioners to ensure that veterans are aware of the services available to them from the NHS and that GPs are aware of veterans’ needs and other sources of support that are available.