This page provides information and links for our staff who are current or retired members of the Armed Forces. It also provides links to some patient information for veterans.
The Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust, Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Board in Cornwall support the armed forces community.
All GP practices in Cornwall are accredited as Veteran Friendly. Veterans are encouraged to make themselves known to their GP Practice, to ensure they can access additional help or healthcare if they need it.
Armed Forces Network
Contact
Email: ciosicb.armedforcesnetwork@nhs.net
Network Chair: John Clague
There are a number of MS Teams channel on the Staff Intranet Pages – please email John.clague@nhs.net to be added to a group
Overview
The Armed Forces Employee Network Group provides a sense of community to our colleagues with links to the Armed Forces, be they Veterans, Reservists, Military Relatives and Spouses, or Cadet Force Adult Volunteers.
The Network organises regular Veteran Breakfasts, Curry Nights, and other social events as well as sharing experiences and providing valuable feedback to the Trust via the network chair and Armed Forces Support Lead.
CloS NHS Armed Forces Network Facebook Group:
https://www.facebook.com/share/g/15VaMy3tMn/?mibextid=K35XfP
This is the official CloS NHS Armed Forces Network Facebook group. This is a closed group open to any members of the Armed Forces Community at RCHT, CFT and CloS ICB. This is to enable the sharing of internal communications related to the Armed Forces Community.
If you are a close family member of a Service person, a veteran, reservist of adult cadet volunteer please request to join the network so that support can be offered to you.
RCHT Equality, Diversity & Inclusion website page:
RCHT Veteran Aware Hospital: Information for Patients Leaflet:
https://branches.britishlegion.org.uk/media/6531046/rcht1731veteranawarehospital.pdf
CFT Armed Forces Covenant:
The Trust is proud to have signed the Armed Forces Covenant in December 2021. We are committed to supporting the Armed Forces community.
The Armed Forces Covenant Duty places a legal responsibility on organisations to pay due regard to the principles of the Armed Forces Covenant.
NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Board – Bronze Award for the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/defence-employer-recognition-scheme#bronze-award
Armed Forces Network Champion Training is available:
Armed Forces Network:
The Armed Forces Network (AFN) started in Sussex in 2011 and is a multi-organisational group which includes members from the NHS, MoD, Armed Forces Reservists, Mental and Physical Health Clinicians, the Royal British Legion, SSAFA and other interested charities and organisations from across Sussex (i.e. police and local authorities).
NHS Healthcare for the Armed Forces Community:
https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/armed-forces-community
The NHS provides a range of dedicated services for veterans and their families.
How the NHS can help if you’re in the British armed forces or are a veteran, a reservist or a family member of someone who is serving or who has served.
Find healthcare and welfare support for veterans, service leavers, non-mobilised reservists, and their family members and carers.
All veterans, service leavers, non-mobilised reservists, and their family members and carers can access a range of specialist healthcare and support created to provide treatment and care for many different problems.
Personalised care for Veterans:
NHS England, together with the Ministry of Defence (MOD), have published the Personalised care for veterans in England, a guide for clinical commissioning groups and local authorities. The document sets out a new personalised care approach for those veterans who have a long term physical, mental or neurological health condition or disability.
https://www.england.nhs.uk/personalisedcare/ipc-for-veterans/personalised-care-for-veterans
NHS Business Service Authority (NHSBSA) Armed Forces Network:
https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/our-policies/diversity-and-inclusion/armed-forces-network
Our Armed Forces Network is a non-exclusive group which is open to all NHSBSA employees and has a mix of armed forces veterans, those who have a general interest in the armed forces, reservist, cadet volunteers, and those with a family member who once served or is still serving.
This network provides a place for the Armed Forces Community to come together and share ideas and best practice, supporting each other to make the NHSBSA a great place to work.
This network feeds into the wider diversity and inclusion colleague network and links with our other lived experience colleague networks. These are LGBT+, BAME, Disability and Neurodiversity, and women.
Combat Stress for Veteran’s Mental Health:
About:
Veterans with complex mental health conditions need a specialist team made up of different mental health professionals to help them and we provide this. Our own clinical staff work closely with each other and the veteran to develop a treatment plan that best suits their needs. We provide highly effective mental healthcare to veterans, focusing on those with complex mental health issues resulting from their experiences during military service.
Our clinical treatment shows strong outcomes and positive experiences. Our treatment is available online, in the community, through outpatient appointments and on a residential basis when required.
We complement services provided by the NHS and other military charities by providing treatment and support for those veterans who have some of the most complex trauma-related mental health issues resulting from military service.
Our 24-hour Helpline 0800 138 1619 is available to all veterans and their families for confidential mental health advice and support. We also have a range of online self-guided resources, to help veterans with a variety of mental health difficulties, including PTSD, depression, anxiety, anger, and alcohol and substance misuse. These guides have been created by our specialist clinical team, in partnership with veterans. Guides are also available for veterans’ families and employers of veterans. Visit https://selfhelp.combatstress.org.uk
Veterans UK – Ministry of Defence
They provide free support for veterans and their families, including a helpline, Veterans Welfare Service, Defence Transition Services and injury/bereavement compensation scheme payments.
Veterans UK is part of the Ministry of Defence.
Citizens Advice:
About:
This information applies to:
- people who are serving in the armed forces
- people who used to serve in the armed forces (veterans)
- the dependants of people serving in the armed forces and veterans
There are many kinds of financial help available for people in the armed forces, veterans and their families.
You can use this information to find out what financial help might be available to you, depending on your situation. You can also use this information to find details of organisations that might be able to help you further
British Legion:
https://www.britishlegion.org.uk
About:
The Royal British Legion is here to help members of the Royal Navy, British Army, Royal Air Force, veterans and their families. And we’re not going anywhere.
We support serving and ex-serving personnel all year round, every day of the week.
Our support starts after one day of service and continues through life, long after service is over.
Armed Forces Public and Patient Voice Group Podcast:
About:
The Armed Forces Public and Patient Voice Group has made a podcast series aimed at helping members of the armed forces community understand what services are available to them from the NHS.
Each episode looks at different aspects of healthcare from leaving service to finding a GP, taking care of mental and physical health, and provision for forces families.
Defence Medical Welfare Service (DMWS):
Defence Medical Welfare Service (DMWS) is an independent charity providing medical welfare to those who have, and continue to, serve on the frontline.
Books & Online Resources that can help:
Cornwall Health Library have a large range of books and resource lists that look at the health and wellbeing of our staff. We also loan out fiction and academic health books. These books can be loaned by members of staff and send out to any NHS location for up to 3 months at a time. They can be returned through internal mail. Articles are also available if requested.
We have lots of online resources that can be used too by NHS staff and students in Cornwall. Contact us to know more: rcht.cornwallhealthlibrary@nhs.net
Check out the front page of our website for more information: https://cornwallhealthlibrary.nhs.uk/
Please check out our Book Catalogue here:
https://swims.inforlib.uk/iguana/www.main.cls?surl=HEE Here are a couple of our wakelet information lists that may be of interest to our Armed Forces personnel:
Book Collections:
Stress awareness
Wellbeing
Movember
