Mental health services for military veterans are coming together under one single service, with one team in each region handling referrals from 1 April.
Op COURAGE the NHS Veterans’ Mental Health and Wellbeing Service is the overarching name for three specialist NHS services for veterans:
These legacy names will no longer be used and this overarching name will be used instead.
Referrals for all three parts of this service will be processed and triaged by one central regional team.
Op COURAGE will continue to offer specialist support for ex-military personnel who are finding life difficult after their time in the forces and be provided by a collaboration between the NHS and third sector across eight counties.
This support ranges from connecting veterans and their families with practical services to assist with adjusting to civilian life, through to psychological therapies that have been adapted to treat combat-related trauma.
The military charity ‘Walking With The Wounded’ will continue to provide additional veteran peer support and liaison workers who have lived experience of mental ill-health following their service.
The move to streamline the ways to refer into Op COURAGE is designed to remove barriers to veterans accessing timely treatment and support and help more people come forward for professional help when they are struggling with their mental health and wellbeing.
Veterans can refer themselves to Op COURAGE directly or they can ask for their GP or health professional to refer on their behalf. FWP is also there to help with referrals if needed.
Find your local Op COURAGE service at www.nhs.uk/opcourage
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