Service veterans ‘miss out’ on their NHS rights to priority treatment
Benefits from recent NHS adjustments intended to ensure priority treatment for servicemen and women are not being seen as nearly half of GPs were unaware of the changes, reports BBC News.
In light of this new evidence it is likely that GPs will be issued with new guidelines, helping them to identify veterans in their care so they can be treated more promptly.
The new guidelines, which come from the Royal College of GPs, the Royal British Legion and Combat Stress were established to allow conflict veterans to receive priority treatment for any conditions relating to their military service. However, one year down the line and almost 60 per cent were not being treated any more promptly than other patients.
Despite guidelines being issues to GPs to help them identify likely candidates, it is thought many are missing out on their early treatment entitlement as the current GP registration process does not require veterans to declare their history.
Peter Poole from Combat Stress has said it is important that NHS staff are able to identify those with post-traumatic stress caused by military service, and are directed to the right treatment.
“Too often this delay can lead to marriage break-up, unemployment, social isolation and substance misuse – in short, a total unravelling of a normal life.” He said.
The Department of Health and the Ministry of Defence have now joined forces to come up with a way of updating the way medical records are currently passed to the NHS after discharge.