Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department provides accelerated NHS (a) primary and (b) secondary care services to armed forces veterans whose medical conditions arise from their military service.

All services within the National Health Service across the United Kingdom are available to members of the Armed Forces, veterans and their families. In England, NHS England commissions additional services for veterans with service-related injuries. Veterans can and are encouraged to use these services whenever they need support.

Op RESTORE, formerly known as the Veterans’ Trauma Network, delivers comprehensive medical care to veterans with physical service-related health problems. Veterans are supported by Defence Medical Welfare Service, and other key charities form part of the Multi-Disciplinary Team and support process which helps veterans to “wait well” whilst waiting for treatment.

For medical conditions arising as a direct result of time spent serving in the Armed Forces, general practitioners can refer directly into the OP RESTORE service.