A NEW guide has been launched to provide health information for veterans, and the people who support them.
Accessed via the NHS inform website, the guide highlights the help available to 6% of Scotland’s population who have served in the armed forces as a regular or a reserve.
Featuring information about veterans’ health rights, it includes guidance on priority treatment for service-related conditions, physical and mental health resources, as well as welfare and financial support.
The guide also explains that every NHS Board in Scotland has an Armed Forces and Veterans Champion, usually a senior member of staff, who holds overall responsibility for making sure that the priority treatment guidelines are understood and applied in their NHS Board area.
Brenda Wilson, Veterans Champion & Deputy Director of Nursing at NHS24, said: “NHS 24 is committed to ensuring veterans have equality of access to our services. I am grateful to the many veterans and veteran organisations, who worked with us to create a resource which will help to remove any existing barriers there are for veterans seeking out the help and support that they are entitled to.”
NHS 24 worked closely with veterans and veterans’ organisations to better understand them and their families, and to create a guide, which suits their specific needs.
Rebecca Barr, Director of Scottish War Blinded, said: “Veterans can often miss out on a wealth of support available to them, either because they are unaware it is available, or because they don’t realise they count as a veteran.
“Anyone who has done and received pay for at least one day’s service in the UK Armed Forces is classed as a veteran, including national servicemen, reservists and merchant navy who have supported a military operation.
“At Scottish War Blinded, we are pleased to work with NHSinform.scot to break down the barriers to ensuring veterans know about available resources, and can get the help when they need it. Scottish War Blinded support veterans following sight loss due to any cause, and hope this new resource will enable more veterans to access the opportunities we provide.”
To visit the guide, search ‘veterans’ on NHSinform.scot
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