Armed Forces

Op COURAGE: The Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Service provides a broad range of specialist mental health and wellbeing care and support for Service leavers, reservists, veterans and their families.  Individuals can self-refer to their local service or ask a healthcare professional, charity, family member or friend to do this for them.

Op RESTORE: The Veterans Physical Health and Wellbeing Service

Op RESTORE provides care and treatment to those with a Service-attributable physical health condition. Located in 13 major trauma centres (Plymouth, Oxford, London (three centres), Birmingham, Nottingham, Liverpool, Leeds, Cambridge, Brighton and Middlesbrough), with links to four NHS trusts, the network works closely with Defence Medical Services, national centres of clinical expertise, Op COURAGE and military charities, to provide holistic care. Access to Op RESTORE requires a GP referral by emailing imperial.oprestore@nhs.net.

Op NOVA: Supporting Veterans in the Justice System

Op NOVA provides one to one non clinical support to veterans who are at risk of being arrested or already have been, are due to leave prison or have been released from prison.  Veterans accessing the service have access to a range of practical and emotional help, along with being supported by an expert case worker.

Op Fortitude – is a new dedicated referral pathway for homeless veterans including those sleeping on the streets. The hotline number for this service is 0800 952 0774 or complete the referral form.

The VPP provides funding on a named veteran basis to NHS Disablement Service Centres (DSC) to ensure that veterans who have service attributable limb loss can access high quality prosthetics regardless of which DSC they attend. More information here.

IPC4V provides a personalised care approach for serving personnel who have complex and enduring, service attributable physical, neurological and mental health conditions.. It provides a framework for effectively planning and delivering personalised care to support an improved discharge planning process from the military. This means that all organisations involved in supporting the individual are brought together at an earlier point in the care pathway, ensuring the appropriate arrangements are in place as they transition to civilian life.

Veterans with a complex and life-long health condition may be eligible for the veterans personalised care programme. Eligible individuals will have a single personalised care plan for all their health and wellbeing needs that is developed with them and a range of organisations, including health and social care and military charities. To apply, individuals should contact NHS Somerset.