Serving those who have served - uncovering the health and social care needs of veterans and service leavers across Wakefield District

In April and May 2024, Healthwatch Wakefield carried out a piece of engagement with veterans across Wakefield District. The aim was to find out how much veterans and their families knew about specialist services, and their experience of using these services. We also wanted to learn about the health and care needs they have and the support they might need. A survey was produced and publicised, 74 people completed this. Five in-depth telephone interviews were also carried out.

The engagement revealed a very low awareness and understanding of the veteran specific pathways and accreditations, with most respondents not having heard of them. Most respondents had not accessed any veteran specific services for physical or mental health, although 22 organisations were mentioned by them. There was positive feedback for GP and hospital services.

There was also positive feedback for several mental health services including Turning Point and Rock 2 Recovery. Key issues identified were difficulty in getting appointments with GPs, dentists and hospitals. There was a call for better communication from GPs. A recurring theme was the need for more information and better advertising of veteran specific services for both physical and mental health. An issue with this could be that many veterans do not identify as such. Some felt that they were left on their own with a lack of ongoing support following access to services.