A veteran is defined as “anyone who has served for at least one day in Her Majesty’s Armed Forces (Regular or Reserve) or Merchant Mariners who have seen duty on legally defined military operations”. And today (Friday) is Armistice Day; at the 11^th hour, on the 11^th day, of the 11^th month in 1918, the Great War ended. Armistice Day is followed by Remembrance Sunday, where across the country the nation remembers all those who have served and sacrificed; lest we forget.

For many of our veteran community, this time of year is particularly difficult, and Remembrance Sunday offers many of us the opportunity to gather with like-minded individuals, our oppos, our buddies, and reflect on our service and the service of those who have gone before us. This unity is vital for most veterans.

But it’s not only at this time of year that we need to think about our veterans, as on an annual basis, approximately 15,000 people leave the UK Armed Forces, making the transition from military to civilian life. 75 per cent of service leavers are healthy, but 25 per cent are not so fortunate, and it’s likely they’ll be the ones who will need your support.

The healthcare needs of veterans can often be quite different from the needs of other patients. Acknowledging this is crucial if you’re to provide effective healthcare for veterans.

It’s not all about trauma-related illnesses; many veterans will need support with the more common health issues, such as anxiety, depression, and alcohol misuse, with some conditions not presenting for years after leaving the services. Another alarming fact is that many veterans, in all age groups, are unaware of the support that’s available for them. They may be relying on your team to help signpost them to this help. Would your team know what to do?

In this blog in August, Ben gave an overview of the Armed Forces Covenant and the RCGP Veteran Friendly GP Practice Accreditation, a programme that supports practices to deliver the best possible care and treatment for our veterans. There are over 1,300 GP practices accredited through this programme in England. You can also find out more in the IGPM webinar with  director Kay, Brigadier (Retd) Robin G Simpson FRCGP- Royal College of General Practitioners Veterans Champion and a Professor of Military Primary Healthcare and Veterans Health University of Chester, and Darren, a former veteran who is a primary care patient. We’ve also produced Guidance on how to become a veteran friendly accredited GP practice [PLUS].

In a recent poll for Practice Index, 65% of you told us that you were accredited, but 35% said you weren’t accredited due to time and staffing pressures, and getting your GPs to support the process. However, you can still help, regardless of whether you’re accredited or not.

You can introduce a veterans’ champion who can lead the support for veterans in your practice. They can help to signpost veterans to the many dedicated services such as: Op Courage: the Veterans’ Mental health and Wellbeing Service; Veterans’ Mental Health Transition, Intervention and Liaison Service (TILS); Veterans Trauma Network (VTN); The Armed Forces Healthcare Navigator Service; Veterans’ Gateway; Contact; Cobseo; Combat Stress; Blesma; Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association (SSAFA) and many more.

The Government is striving to make the UK the best place in the world to be a veteran by 2028. You can play your part in ensuring that veterans in your community know what care and support is available to them, and how they can access this care and support when they need it most.