Acorn Surgery is proud to be accredited by the Royal College of General Practitioners as a Veteran Friendly Practice. We make sure staff are appropriately trained and that we can easily identify patients who are Veterans so that we can offer the most appropriate care and support.
More than half of veterans (52%) have a long-term illness or disability, yet research suggests many may be reluctant to seek out support for their issues, particularly if they feel they may not be understood. With an estimated two million veterans in the UK, it’s likely that the average GP sees a veteran patient every day. Being able to identify and support veteran patients is crucial to ensuring best outcomes, as some veterans face different health challenges to the general population.
Who qualifies as a veteran in UK?
Veterans are 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.
How our accreditation helps veterans
This Armed Forces Covenant states that 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. Our accreditation supports us to provide the best care to our veteran patients. As well as capture health data to improve future provision of health services and ensure that the NHS is better able to meet the health commitments of the Armed Forces Covenant.
Moreover, it is a fantastic opportunity to improve rapport with our veteran patients ensuring they feel more involved and connected.
Do veterans get priority NHS treatment?
All veterans are entitled to priority NHS treatment for any condition related to their service. This includes veterans who don’t receive a war pension. Priority treatment includes assessment, treatment, aids and appliances for conditions accepted as being due to their service.
If you haven’t already done so please let us know if you, or your spouse or partner are a Veteran by emailing us at acorn.enquiries@nhs.net or pop in and see us at Reception so our Veterans Champion can make sure your medical record is updated and you have access to all the help you may need.
For more information and helpful contact see the links below.
