The independent review of His Majesty\u2019s Governments\u2019 veterans' welfare support services, announced by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and the Office for Veterans\u2019 Affairs on the 2 March 2023, will encompass the MOD\u2019s Veterans\u2019 Welfare Services, as well as the Northern Ireland Veterans Support Office, and the Government's role in the Veterans\u2019 Gateway, and how they fit into wider Government support to veterans. It will also align with the Reviews of the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme and Veterans Advisory and Pensions Committees that are currently underway.<\/p>
<\/p>
The medical discharge process is delegated to the single Services to afford each branch of the Armed Forces the necessary flexibility to respond effectively to the unique and varying environments in which their people are employed. While each of the single Services' medical discharge process is subject to regular review, there are no current plans to include these in the independent review.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1466", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dr Andrew Murrison"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "South West Wiltshire"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Dr Andrew Murrison"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2023-03-16", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2023-03-16T11:45:44.643Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "11"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Defence"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Defence"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2023-03-13", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Veterans: Health"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the review of welfare provision for veterans will include a detailed examination of the medical discharge process.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3989", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Jack Lopresti"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Filton and Bradley Stoke"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Jack Lopresti"} ], "uin" : "163872"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1194781", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Defence"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1194781/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Veterans UK helpline has not been closed.<\/p>
<\/p>
The COVID-19 situation has necessitated the delivery of services differently and veterans can still submit written enquiries in the normal manner via email. Call backs and referral to the Veterans Welfare Service are provided where urgent or vulnerable callers are identified.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4485", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Johnny Mercer"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Plymouth, Moor View"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Johnny Mercer"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2020-05-12", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2020-05-12T13:43:35.697Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "11"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Defence"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Defence"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2020-05-12", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Veterans: Health"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "What assessment he has made of the effect on veteran welfare of closing the Veterans UK Helpline.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1604", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Virendra Sharma"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Ealing, Southall"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Virendra Sharma"} ], "uin" : "902481"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1005647", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Defence"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1005647/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
This Government wants to continue to support veterans and to do more, which is why on 14 November 2018 we published the Strategy for our Veterans (Cm 9726) and supporting UK Government Consultation Paper (Cm 9727) that outlines what we aim to do and consults on how we will achieve it. The full documents can be found at the following link:<\/p>
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/strategy-for-our-veterans. <\/strong><\/p> <\/p> By 2028 we will be doing more to ensure that each veteran is valued, contributing and supported. One of our aims is that all veterans enjoy a state of positive physical and mental health and wellbeing, enabling them to contribute to wider aspects of society. In order to achieve this outcome, we will focus our efforts on enabling consistency of medical outcomes for veterans, through a smooth transition of provision from in-Service to post-Service and sharing effective practices amongst clinical and healthcare communities; providing bespoke treatment for those veterans who have bespoke needs because of their service, and targeting any identified health and wellbeing needs of veterans in comparison to the general population.<\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> Veterans\u2019 health is broadly aligned with that of the rest of the general population and most veterans\u2019 health requirements are sufficiently met by existing NHS provision. However, several tailored initiatives are already in place to cater for specific veteran needs, including priority access to NHS secondary care in England, Scotland and Wales for Service related conditions, subject to the clinical need of all patients. Further work is also ongoing to increase awareness of the Armed Forces Covenant within the NHS, such as the Royal College of General Practitioners Accreditation programme (over 90 GP practices in the pilot area of the West Midlands) and Veterans Covenant Hospital Alliance, improved e-learning packages and the inclusion of the Covenant as part of the curriculum for all GPs nationally.<\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p>"}
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}
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, "attachment" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1005647/answer/attachment/1", "fileName" : {"_value" : "Strategy_for_our_Veterans_FINAL.pdf"}
, "title" : "Strategy for our veterans"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-11-22", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-11-22T16:21:38.117Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
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, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Defence"}
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, "date" : {"_value" : "2018-11-12", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Veterans: Health"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"}
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], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they propose to take to help to improve the health and wellbeing of military veterans.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1796", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick"}
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