Practices across the country are pledging to become “veteran friendly” as part of a nationwide push to improve medical care and treatment for former members of the armed services.

The Military Veteran Aware Accreditation, which is backed by NHS England and the Royal College of GPs, will see practices qualifying for the status if they provide extra support for any ex-military personnel who faces additional challenges when they return to civilian life.

The scheme was conceived by North Yorkshire GP Dr Mike Brookes, who served in Iraq, after a patient told him that he had joined his practice because the doctor would understand his needs as a veteran.

“It made me reflect on a potential unmet need for our veterans,” he said.

“I could see how pivotal a GP practice could be at identifying ex-service personnel to help ensure they receive care and treatment that is considerate of their time in the armed forces. It is great to think that a conversation with a patient at a GP practice in the Dales could lead to a national project to improve veterans’ health.”

The phased nationwide expansion follows a successful pilot in the West Midlands, where 90 practices signed up.

Dr Jonathan Leach, who served in the army for 25 years and chairs the NHS England Armed Forces Clinical Reference Group, said: “We are committed to providing veterans with a seamless, high quality service when it comes to their health needs.

“Our priority is to make sure that no matter where a veteran lives in the country, they will have access to a GP who understands their military related health needs and supports them to get the right treatment and support. We are therefore urging every GP practice to sign up to this important scheme.”

Welcoming the nationwide rollout, Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard, chair of the Royal College of GPs said: “It’s great to see successful local initiatives being rolled out nationally so that they can benefit patients across the country.”

To become accredited, GP practices must have a lead for veterans’ issues within the surgery; be able to identify and flag veterans on their computer system; undertake dedicated training and attend armed forces healthcare meetings; and increase understanding of the health needs of veterans amongst both clinical and administrative staff.