Armed Forces - Health and wellbeing

Skip to content Skip to search Skip to navigation

The NHS website provides information, help and support about alcohol misuse:

If you need help and treatment for drug addiction, you're entitled to NHS care. The NHS website provides information, help and support about drug addiction:

You can search for local drug treatment services on the Frank website. Support is also available for family and friends.

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other to support recovery from alcoholism. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. There are no fees for AA membership.

Find a meeting in your local area on the Alcoholics Anonymous website. You can also call 0800 9177 650 or email help@aamail.org.

This charity works to address the needs of children of all ages growing up in families where one or both parents suffer from alcoholism or a similar addictive problem.

Find out more on the Nacoa website, call 0800 358 3456 or email helpline@Nacoa.org.uk.

GamCare is the leading national provider of free information, advice and support for anyone affected by problem gambling.

Find out more on the GamCare website, or call 0808 8020 133.

The Army runs a programme of Transition Individual Planning and Personal Development (IPPD) that aims to make sure service leavers are given all the relevant information needed to make an informed choice allowing a smooth transition into civilian life.

The Army website has advice for service leavers about gambling.

A UK SMART Recovery Programme can help you if you are looking to change your harmful addictive behaviour and lead a balanced and fulfilling life. There is also a family-and-friends programme to help individuals who have a loved one struggling with addiction. These are delivered through face-to-face meetings or online training programmes.

Find out more on the UK SMART Recovery website or call 0330 053 6022.

If you are an unpaid carer, support is available to help you through some of the challenges you might face. Find out about the range of support available from the council's Carer Support Service.

Defence Medical Services (DMS) provide general practice, dentistry, rehabilitation and mental health services (community and residential) for serving Armed Forces personnel. Some service personnel working on specific operational areas may have eye care services provided for them, otherwise service personnel should go to a local optician.

The Ministry of Defence also provides healthcare for those on military operations and for specialist occupations. Community and hospital care is provided by the NHS.

Most service families are not eligible for Defence Medical Services. All service families and veterans should register with a local NHS GP who look after general health needs.

It is also important to register with an NHS dentist.

Mobilised reservists receive care in the same way as regular personnel. Non-mobilised reservists remain under the care of NHS services, and can also access occupational health services via the Defence Medical Services, which addresses their fitness to serve.

Find more information on healthcare for Armed Forces families on the NHS website.

Find out about pharmacy services and where your local pharmacists are on the NHS website.

A veteran is someone who has served in the Armed Forces for at least one day. When serving personnel leave the Armed Forces, their healthcare is the responsibility of the NHS.

All veterans are entitled to priority access to NHS care (including hospital, primary or community care) for conditions associated with their time within the Armed Forces (service-related). This is always subject to clinical need and doesn't entitle you to jump the queue ahead of someone with a higher clinical need.

Find out more on the NHS website.

It's very important for continuing healthcare that you register with an NHS GP and remember to tell them that you have served. This will help your GP to better understand any service-related health conditions that you may have and make sure that you are referred, where appropriate, to dedicated services for ex-forces.

If you've recently left the Armed Forces, it's important to give your GP the paperwork that your military medical centre gave you, including any medical records so it is transferred to your NHS health record. It will also give your GP information on your health and ensure that any ongoing care and treatment is continued.

Have a read of Top tips for Veterans - How to get the most from your GP.

If you are a spouse or partner registering with a GP, you should tell the practice that you are a military family. This will help to make sure you are treated in line with the Armed Forces Covenant, and retain your position on any NHS waiting list if you are moved around the UK due to the service person being posted.

Find a GP near you on the NHS website.

Veterans have a legal right to the same access to healthcare as any other UK resident. If you are a UK resident you are eligible for any NHS dental treatment that is necessary to maintain your dental health.

Find out about charges and exemptions on the NHS website.

Check the Royal British Legion website to see if you are eligible for free or reduced price dental treatment.

Find a dentist near you on the NHS website.

IAPT services offer NICE recommended therapies, such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), for common problems involving stress, anxiety and depression. If you live in England, you can refer yourself to an NHS psychological therapies service (IAPT).

Visit the NHS website if you would like to refer yourself to this service.

This helpline is for service personnel and their families, allowing them to access the help, advice and support they need anywhere, anytime, and is open 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week. Call 0800 323 444.

The Army runs a programme of Transition Individual Planning and Personal Development (IPPD), that aims to ensure that service leavers are given all the relevant information needed to make an informed choice allowing a smooth transition into civilian life.

Find mental health, wellbeing and resilience advice for service leavers on the Army website.

An overview of the mental health services for veterans is available here.

Op COURAGE: The Veterans' Mental Health and Wellbeing Service includes the following services previously known as:

NHS Veterans' Mental Health Transition, Intervention and Liaison Service (TILS)
NHS Veterans' Mental Health Complex Treatment Service (CTS)
NHS Veterans' Mental Health High Intensity Service (HIS)

The TILS is for serving personnel approaching discharge from the military, reservists (active and non-active) and veterans with mental health difficulties.

The service is primarily triage and assessment, helping to recognise the early signs of mental health problems and signposting to appropriate treatment where necessary, including therapeutic treatment for complex mental health difficulties and psychological trauma.

Help may also be provided with housing, employment, alcohol misuse and social support.

If you are a veteran, you can refer yourself by contacting the service directly on (01482) 335479 or email HNF-TR.veteransoutreachservice@nhs.net. You can also fill in a referral form and send via email or post to St. Andrew's Place, 271 St. George's Road, Hull, HU3 3SW.

Referrals can also be taken from your GP or any statutory or non-statutory organisation.

Find further information on the Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust website.

The Complex Treatment Service is for ex-forces and reservists (active and non-active) who have military-related complex mental health difficulties that have not improved with previous treatment.

The service provides intensive care and treatment that may include (but is not limited to) support for drug and alcohol misuse, physical health, employment, housing, relationships and finances, as well as occupational and trauma focused therapies. As part of their service offer, families are supported to access care and treatment for themselves where appropriate.

The Veterans' Mental Health Transition, Intervention and Liaison Service (TILS) will refer veterans to this service.

For more information call (01482) 335479 or email HNF-TR.veteransoutreachservice@nhs.net.

The Veterans' High Intensity Service provides care and treatment for former Armed Forces personnel (veterans) who are in a mental health crisis and need urgent help. It also provides support and care for family members and carers where they need it.

If you require support from the High Intensity Service, you'll probably already be in the care of local mental health services, or one of the existing veterans' specialist mental health services such as TILS or CTS. You may have come to A&E and been seen by a Liaison Psychiatry team.

Local health professionals will then call on the HIS for help if they feel your care would benefit from our support.

We will be in touch within 24 hours of a referral being received. If you are an armed forces veteran (minimum service of one day) and need mental health support, you can speak to your GP or contact the NHS Veterans' Transition Intervention and Liaison Service (TILS) in the first instance on (01482) 335479 or email HNF-TR.veteransoutreachservice@nhs.net.

Find out more on the Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust website.

CALM is leading a movement against suicide. It runs a free and confidential helpline and webchat, 7 hours a day, 7 days a week for anyone who needs to talk.

Find out more on the CALM website or call their helpline on 0800 58 58 58.

CALM also support those bereaved by suicide through their Support After Suicide Partnership.

Find more information on the Support after Suicide Partnership website.

Combat Stress support veterans to deal with issues like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety and depression. They offer a range of treatment services in the community, at their specialist centres, on the phone and online, and they develop a personalised programme for each veteran's individual needs.

Find out more on the Combat Stress website, or call their helpline on 0800 138 1619.

This online mental fitness tool is designed to help the defence community (including serving personnel, veterans, civilian staff or those in uniform) to take a more proactive approach to their mental health and mental fitness.

Access support on the HeadFIT website.

Healthy Minds is a campaign co-produced by people with lived experience of mental ill health, which aims to:

encourage people to look after their mental health and seek support when needed
raise awareness of the range of support on offer
encourage people to look out for others and recognise when someone might need support.

It also includes a tool to help you check your mental health against a 'health scale', followed by details of where to access support if needed.

Find out more on the Healthy Minds website.

Help for Heroes' Hidden Wounds service provides free and confidential support to veterans and their families and the families of those still serving.

The service can support you if you are:

a wounded, injured and sick veteran
a family member of a veteran or someone who is currently serving who is wounded, injured and sick

and are living with mental health and emotional difficulties such as anxiety, anger, low mood and alcohol use and common mental health problems that are adversely affecting your quality of life.

Find more information on the Help for Heroes website.

Hub of Hope focuses on mental health and uses location software to provide details of local services around mental health.

Find more information on the Hub of Hope website.

For those needing help immediately, it signposts to the Samaritans. Text HOPE to 85258 to access help 24/7 in a crisis.

Hull and East Yorkshire Mind is an independent charity and housing association, who work with partners to intervene as early as possible, providing advice and support to empower and give hope to anyone experiencing a mental health problem.

Find more information on the Hull and East Yorkshire Mind website, or call (01482) 240200.

The Recovery College is supported by Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust. It offers a range of free or low-cost courses to support individuals to recognise their own resourcefulness, talents and abilities, and provide useful tools enabling them to become experts in their own self-care.

Anyone over the age of 16 can enrol.

Find out more on the Humber Recovery and Wellbeing website, or call (01482) 389124.

The Samaritans can help anyone who is having a difficult time and struggling to cope, or who is worried about someone else.

Find out more on the Samaritans website, call 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org.

Togetherall is an online mental health support service. It's free for all serving personnel, veterans and family members.

An overview of the NHS services available for veterans with physical injuries is available on the NHS website.

This provides care and treatment to those who have been injured during their time in the Armed Forces. The service is available in selected NHS health centres across England close to where people live.

Veterans accessing this service will be cared for by military and civilian clinicians who understand the nature and context of the injuries. As families and carers can be seriously impacted when their loved ones are injured, they can also be supported to access services that may help them.

The referral process is simple. Make sure you have told your NHS GP you served in the Armed Forces and they can refer you by emailing england.veteranstraumanetwork@nhs.net.

Blesma is an Armed Forces charity dedicated to assisting serving personnel and veterans who have suffered life-changing limb loss or use of a limb, an eye or sight. It provides financial and emotional support to individuals and their families.

Find out more on the Blesma website, or call 020 8590 1124.

Help for Heroes provides a range of support and services for wounded, injured and sick service personnel (regular and reserves) and veterans who have suffered illness or injuries in serving the nation.

They provide physical, psychological, financial and welfare support for as long as they need it, and also support their families.

Find more information on the Help for Heroes website or call 07808 789492.

If you have served in the UK Armed Forces and now have hearing loss, tinnitus or both, you may be able to apply for support from the Veterans Hearing Fund.

Find more information on the Veterans Hearing Support website or call 0800 861 1102.

Find out what council services are available to people with disabilities.

A Blue Badge is a parking permit that allows people with severe mobility problems, (caused by visible and non-visible disabilities), access to goods and services by allowing them to park close to their destination. The badge holder can use the permit whenever they travel as a driver or passenger.

Find more information about Blue Badges.

Apply for a Blue Badge.

If you are a disabled person there may be physical barriers that make it difficult for you to carry out ordinary day-to-day activities in your home. If you or someone you live with has a disability, you may be eligible for a grant to pay for adaptations to your home.

A disabled facilities grant is a means-tested council grant of up to £30,000 to assist with the costs incurred in adapting your home to allow access to normal household facilities. If the adaptation is for a child (under 19) you will not have to contribute to the cost.

This grant is available to owner-occupiers, private and housing association tenants (with the landlord's permission) and council tenants who have had the work refused by housing services.

Find out more about the disabled facilities grant, including how to apply.

There is a wide range of disability-related financial support, including benefits, tax credits, payments, grants and concessions.

Find out more on our money advice webpage.

NHS England and NHS Improvement, together with the Ministry of Defence have set out a new personalised care approach for those veterans who have a long term physical, mental or neurological health condition or disability.

Organisations are encouraged to work together with the veteran to plan and deliver coordinated and personalised care. As part of this, veterans may be eligible for a personal budget to pay for some of the care and support they need.

Find more information on the NHS website or speak to your GP.

This independent charity provides help and support to the Armed Forces community and other frontline staff whenever they are receiving medical treatment.

Their welfare officers offer comprehensive and confidential medical welfare support to patients and their immediate family as well as to their primary care givers and healthcare professionals. They currently support serving personnel, reservists, veterans and their family members and carers.

Find more information on the DMWS website or call their helpline on 0800 999 3697.

The ERYCCG is responsible for planning and buying hospital, mental health and community health care services for the people living in the East Riding of Yorkshire area. It also offers a wide range of information about different health topics.

Find out more on the ERYCCG website.

The East Riding Health and Wellbeing website is a directory of local health services and social groups. It has information on self-care and where to get help, from quitting smoking to mental health, and parent support to being less lonely.

East Riding Leisure offers a combination of fitness facilities, HealthiER services and expert staff that can assist you with achieving a healthy lifestyle. Their aim is to improve your life for the long-term by helping you to actively take control of your health.

Find information on the East Riding Leisure website. Select the leisure centre nearest to you to access the HealthiER page.

East Riding Libraries offer an excellent range of books on the Reading Well - Books on Prescription scheme.

These books are aimed at helping you to understand and manage your health and wellbeing using self-help reading.

Reading lists are focused on:

mental health
children and young people
dementia
long term conditions

Find the full range on the East Riding Libraries website.

This information pack is a handy guide to services and support available for veterans in Beverley such as looking for a local pharmacy, finding a support group, getting active or just hints and tips.

Beverley veterans information pack (pdf 10mb)

This information pack is a handy guide to services and support available for veterans in Bridlington, such as looking for a local pharmacy, finding a support group, getting active or just hints and tips.

Bridlington veterans information pack

This a UK-wide self-help support network for the adult family members of physically or emotionally-injured service personnel and veterans.

Find out more on the Ripple Pond website or call 0333 900 1028.

A wide range of services and support is available to help you, whatever your needs.

These pages are also useful if you support members of the Armed Forces community as part of your job, or as a friend, carer or family member.

Community and relationships

Employment, education and skills

Families, children and young people

Housing

Money advice

General advice and support

Supporting the Armed Forces community

Armed Forces Covenant

If there is something that you need help with that is not listed, or any information needs updating, please email community.covenant@eastriding.gov.uk or call (01482) 391426.

Stay connected

Top of page

Stay connected

Business

Council

Environment

Leisure

Living

Learning

Housing and council tax

Planning permission and building control