Armed forces personnel and veterans who need mental healthcare are being “completely failed by the system” in some cases according to MPs.
The Commons defence select committee said in a report published on Monday it was a scandal. In January 2018 the defence committee launched the first part of their inquiry into Armed Forces mental health and publish a report on the scale of the mental health issues. It concluded that the vast majority of veterans leaves the services with no ill-effects and that the public perception that most veterans are ‘mad, bad or sad’ was not only a myth but harmful to veterans. The defence committee are convinced that the majority of serving personnels and veterans who do suffer from mental health conditions need timely and appropriate care. It was found that veterans had to wait too long to access treatment.
The report said that NHS should consult the Ministry of defence and the Defence and National Rehabilitation Centre to establish a world-class centre for treating psychological injuries within 18 months.
They did a part two from the first report which was ‘Mental Health and the Armed Forces, Part Two: The Provision of Care’. It stated: “There is no doubt that some serving personnel, veterans and their families who need mental healthcare are still being completely failed by the system.
“With specific mental healthcare provision for armed forces families also non-existent, it is no surprise that many veterans and their families believe they have been abandoned.”
Ruth Smeeth, a Labour member on the committee, said: “It is unacceptable that veterans and their families should feel abandoned by the state.”
Dr Chaand Nagpaul, the British Medical Association council chair, said: “It can’t be right that men and women who have put their lives on the line to defend their country are having to wait a year for treatment when they are at their most vulnerable.”
A government spokeswoman said: “NHS England is committed to providing mental healthcare around the country so anyone in need of treatment can access help as close to home as possible. This includes bespoke services for veterans, which have been supported by an extra £10m as part of the NHS long-term plan.
“At the same time, the Ministry of Defence has increased spending on mental health support for those serving in the armed forces to £22m a year, and is working to tackle the stigma around asking for help throughout the military community.”
Armed Forces Charities have found that it can take four years on average before Iraq and Afghanistan veterans seek help for mental health issues. Despite this, the Ministry of Defence follow-up period for writing to veterans is only one year after discharge. Veterans in England wait 18 days on average for an assessment from the Transition, Intervention and Liaison Service after referral against a target of 14 days according to NHS England. Veterans can even wait up to a year for mental health treatment after assessment particularly in Northern Ireland.
Early intervention can be crucial in preventing mental health problems from developing into more severe conditions.
The committee is calling on the government to update them within six months for progress in improving civilian practitioners’ awareness of veterans’ mental health. This includes how this has been measured, what other actions it has since taken or plans to take for further improvement and on the work to exchange best practice across the UK.
