Community Veterans Mental Health Service

In the United Kingdom there has traditionally been no special provision made for the estimated 10 million plus veterans and their dependents. Veterans’ health and social needs are officially catered for by statutory services such as the National Health Service and local authorities. Additional valued support from various charities and other organisations, some with central funding, also plays a major role in supporting veterans and supplementing the input provided by statutory services.

Concerns about the current provision for veterans have been widely reported with some arguing for dedicated services here as seen in the USA. The Welsh Assembly Government and the Ministry of Defence are committed to improving support and treatment within the NHS for veterans. As a result the Cardiff and Vale University Local Health Board (formerly the Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust) Department of Traumatic Stress Service has been funded, as one of several pilot sites across the UK, to improve services for veterans for two years starting from April 2008.