We are officially accredited as an Armed Forces Veteran Friendly GP Practice
Hawthorn Surgery is proud to be accredited as a veterans friendly practice by the Royal College of GPs.
We are committed to following the NHS Patient Charter to ensure that our veterans have access to the help and support they may need following their service.
Please tell us if you are a military veteran so that we can make sure you are offered the support and assistance you may need, now or in the future, as a result of your service. It would help us to know in which of the Armed Forces you served, the dates of your service and whether you were discharged or retired due to ill health.
Being accredited by the Royal College of General Practitioners means that a practice can better identify and treat veterans, refer them, where appropriate, to dedicated NHS services (such as the Veterans’ Mental Health Transition, Intervention and Liaison service (TILS), the Veterans’ Mental Health Complex Treatment Service (CTS) and the Veterans Trauma Network) and capture better data to improve future health provision. It also means that the NHS is better able to meet the health commitments of the Armed Forces Covenant, which says the Armed Forces community, including veterans, should face no disadvantage in accessing health services and should receive priority care for military attributable conditions, subject to clinical need.
A veteran is someone who has served in the British Armed Forces (Regular or Reserve) for at least one day. Veterans also include any member of the Merchant Marine who has served in a war zone. This includes crew from convoys in World War 2 and more recently in the Falklands conflict and Gulf Wars.
About 18,000 service people move back into civilian life every year and whilst most of these individuals have similar levels of health to the general population, around 2,000 leave on medical grounds. The top reasons for medical discharge are for issues relating to back, knees, mental health and hearing.
Support for Veterans
Further Support & Resources
The First Call For Help Takes Courage
Urgent support telephone number: 0800 323 4444
Please see the links below for alternative resources available.
Support Organisations
- Op Nova – Support for veterans who are in contact with the justice system.
- Op Restore – Healthcare & welfare support for veterans, service leavers, non-mobilised reservists and, their family members and carers
- Veterans UK – Offers free support and looks after the assessment, award, payment and maintenance of all pensions relating to service in the armed forces.
- Veterans Gateway – Gets veterans and their families in touch with the organisations best placed to help with the advice and support they need.
- Forces Employment Charity – Provides life long, life changing support, jobs and training opportunities to service leavers, veterans, reservists and their spouses, partners and children.
- Mental health services for veterans | Combat Stress – Specialist clinical treatment and support for veterans, with a focus on those with complex mental health issues.
- UK Armed Forces and military veterans charity | Help For Heroes – Helping Veterans and their families live well after service.
- Soldiers’, Sailors’ and Airmen’s Families Association (SSAFA) – Helping the Armed Forces community with a focus on providing direct support to individuals in need or physical or emotional care.
- Army Families Federation (AFF) – Improving the quality of life for Army families, wherever you are in the world.
- Royal British Legion (RBL) – Lifelong support to serving and ex-serving personnel and their families.
