Page 11 - CAMPAIGN Spring 2022

Veterans' Covenant
Healthcare Alliance
Veterans’ Rehabilitation Project NHS England is committed to raising awareness among healthcare professionals of Veterans’ needs.
The Military Covenant health commitments are included in the NHS Constitution and Mandates and form part of the contract with every NHS commissioned provider. This helps to ensure all healthcare professionals will be considerate of these services. Veterans and Armed Forces issues, including the role of the Covenant, now form part of the curriculum for all GPs nationally and are tested in the Royal College of General Practitioners membership exam.
The Veterans’ Covenant Healthcare Alliance (VCHA) is made up of a team of professionals who are working with NHS providers, including acute, mental health, community and ambulance trusts, to gain their veteran aware accreditation status to support to the armed forces community.
Rehabilitation clinicians, Sarah Barker (Occupational Therapist) and Maisy Provan (Physiotherapist) are undertaking this project aiming to create clinical pathways and a set of recommendations for veterans in the NHS.
CAMPAIGN SPRING 2022
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Veterans’ Legal Link
Legal and benefits' help
The BNTVA is working closely with a military veterans' legal link, established by Dr Olaoluwa Olusanya, Professor of Law and Criminology at the University of Aberystwyth, to provide a two-way referral process for legal help including:
• Free war pension
representation by a pool of pro bono solicitors trained by the BNTVA in claims concerning ionising radiation and the nuclear tests
• Complaints via an Ombudsman
• Benefits and housing issues for our nuclear test veterans and their families
• Access to Legal Aid where possible.
The specialist workers are very quick to process applications. If you need assistance, then please contact the BNTVA where we will refer you for help with a trained specialist.
The initial focus includes:
• MSK,specificallyshoulders,hip, knee, ankles, back and amputees
• Chronicpain
• Psychologicaleffectsofinjury.
We met with Maisy and Sarah last year to share the experiences of Britain's nuclear test veterans within the VCHA and heard from Major (retd) Ian Razzell who gave a keynote speech at the BNTVA conference 2021 concerning Veterans' Aware GP surgeries. Ian made it clear that not only veterans, but their families can access priority care. We know of veterans and their families who have stated this to their GP, and that this works too. Our very own Vice Chair, David Bostwick, tested this via his GP, and obtained a speedy referral to private healthcare paid for by the NHS.
Don't forget to mention that you are a veteran or the family member of a veteran when accessing healthcare, for more targeted healthcare.