Extra support for personnel leaving the armed forces

The NHS Military Veterans' Service for Greater Manchester and Lancashire

A new pilot mental health transition service has been launched to ensure serving armed forces personnel nearing medical discharge have access to all the support they need.

The transition service is designed to give dedicated support to people who may have mental health issues as they leave the armed forces, helping them through the often difficult period of settling back into civilian life.

Health professionals with experience of working with military serving personnel and veterans will work with the individual and their family and carers to arrange timely access to any services they may need.

This could include, for example, housing, jobs and social support from their local council or third sector organisations, as well as referrals into physical and mental health and wellbeing services. The service will work collaboratively with national and local veterans’ charities.

The contract for the North of England has been awarded to a group of NHS mental health providers, all of which already provide specialist services for ex-service personnel. The North West element of the service will be delivered by Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust’s Military Veterans’ Service.

Dr Alan Barrett, Clinical Lead for the Military Veterans’ Service, said: “The process of transitioning out of the military into civilian life can be tough. We are looking forward to working even more closely with colleagues in Defence Community Mental Health to make sure serving personnel with mental health issues who are being medically discharged have as smooth a transfer of care as possible.

“Building on our five years of experience of providing a specialist mental health services for veterans, and our early-intervention work with wounded, injured and sick military personnel in the North West, will help us further develop our work in this area.”

For more information about support available, visit www.penninecare.nhs.uk/military-veterans or call 0300 323 0707.