Veteran friendly GP practice in Bury

In England, the NHS has adopted the Armed Forces Covenant into the NHS Constitution. It has developed specific services for veterans' needs, including Op COURAGE and Op RESTORE, which provide specialist mental health support and physical health services for ex-service members. 

Meanwhile, the Royal College of GPs (RCGP) and NHS England manage a veteran accreditation scheme for GP practices and NHS Trusts, designed to help GP practices provide better care for veterans.

Talk to your GP

1. Tell your GP you’ve served in the armed forces. It doesn’t matter how long you served or when you left the armed forces.
2. Ask for the term ‘military veteran’ to be recorded in your patient record. This will help your GP to better understand any military-related health conditions you may have and ensure you are referred, where appropriate, to dedicated health and well-being services for veterans.
3. Give your GP any paperwork and medical records from your military medical centre. This helps to ensure your military health record transfers to your NHS record.

If you don’t have a GP

If you don’t have a GP, it’s important to register with one as soon as possible. They should be your first point of contact for managing your health as a veteran. Don’t leave this until you urgently need to see a doctor. If you have a family, it’s important they register with a GP too.

Veterans, service leavers, and non-mobilised reservists