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<p>Ex-Service men and women who have deployed since 1982 are eligible to receive assistance
from the Veterans and Reserves Mental Health programme (VRMHP), as are reserves who
have deployed overseas since 1 January 2003.</p><p> </p><p>All ex-Service personnel
referred to the VRMHP will receive a full psychiatric assessment by a Consultant Psychiatrist.
This assessment report is then sent on completion to their NHS GP and/or local NHS
clinical team with advice on further treatment and care. Since April 2016, this assessment
has been provided at the individual’s nearest Ministry of Defence Department of Community
Mental Health (DCMH), which for individuals in Worcestershire would most likely be
the facility at Donnington, in Shropshire.</p><p> </p><p>From September 2013, referrals
to the VRMHP during each 12-month period are as follows:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>
</p></td><td><p>Sep 2013 – Aug 2014</p></td><td><p>Sep 2014 – Aug 2015</p></td><td><p>Sep
2015 – Aug 2016</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Veterans</p></td><td><p>112</p></td><td><p>130</p></td><td><p>186</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Reserves</p></td><td><p>52</p></td><td><p>34</p></td><td><p>25</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>%
NHS GP referred</p></td><td><p>25% (75% self)</p></td><td><p>65% (30% self)</p></td><td><p>95%
(none self)</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>Fewer than five referrals in the
above table are recorded as having come from Worcestershire during the most recent
12-month period.</p><p> </p><p>As the table shows, many referrals to the VRMHP initially
came from individuals who self-referred. Since 2015, the VRMHP has strongly encouraged
all veterans to obtain an NHS GP referral first, in order to obtain a ‘medically informed’
referral. This has meant in years 2015-2016 almost all referrals have come from the
NHS GP, with a small proportion (about 5%) coming from NHS secondary mental health
services or Service charities.</p>
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