As a sessional GP, I’m acutely aware of the myriad pressures confronting medical practices. Consequently, when introduced to new schemes or training initiatives, I often find myself grappling with the challenge of integrating them into my already demanding role while managing time constraints. This becomes especially daunting when the subject matter appears slightly niche – but I’m here to tell you exactly why every practice should take the quick and simple step of becoming Veteran Friendly Accredited.
There are 1.74 million veterans – defined as any individual who has served at least one day in the British Armed Forces – in England, with every GP practice on average seeing at least one veteran patient every day.
As a group, veterans have a diverse range of exposure to things like combat, foreign travel and separation from their families, and they are known to have unique health needs. Around 15,000 service personnel move back into civilian life every year and more than one thousand leave on medical grounds. They are more likely to have higher rates of common mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression. Smoking is more common among veterans and, as a result, they are more likely to have long-term respiratory conditions. Alcohol related issues can also be common amongst veterans.