Support for military families
Military personnel and their loved ones can now contact the local NHS directly to receive personalised advice and guidance on any matter that is making accessing local services a challenge.
A high number of military families are currently based in the region, particularly in parts of rural Wiltshire, with many having moved from elsewhere in the country.
To ensure these people can continue to access care seamlessly and with the same ease as others living in the region, the local NHS has signed up to OpCommunity.
This national initiative involves creating a single point of local contact, which military families can call upon in times of need, such as when medical records may not have been transferred from a previous provider.
Richard Marshall, Armed Forces Single Point of Contact, Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Care Board, said:
“As an ex-serviceman, I know that many military families, some of whom will be new to the area, can feel overwhelmed at the thought of having to navigate the local NHS.
“Moving around the country to support a loved one in the Forces can be difficult enough, without having to factor in the need to, among other things, register with a new GP practice, arrange for records to be moved and find out where the nearest emergency department is.
“By being part of OpCommunity, we are giving families a direct route into the heart of the local NHS, where they can find answers to all their questions, directions to the right services and help for issues that are creating a barrier to care.”
What is OpCommunity?
OpCommunity is an easily accessible single point of contact within the NHS for families and carers of current and former Armed Forces personnel living in Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire.
By getting in touch with OpCommunity directly – either by telephone, email or via the online form – military families can receive free help and advice when looking for support with matters relating to health, care and navigating the local NHS landscape.
Some of the things that OpCommunity can help with include:
- Arranging safe and expedient transfers of care from one health and care provider to another
- Ensuring that places on NHS waiting lists are not lost after moving to a new area
- Providing advice on nearby veteran-friendly GP practices
- Supporting families with social prescribing queries
- Directing specific queries to experts within the local NHS
Families can access this new support service in a number of different ways, either by telephone or email, or by filling in the online form, which will then generate a callback.
The OpCommunity mailbox and telephone line will be monitored every weekday between 9am and 5pm.
07880 300 035
Find out more at bsw.icb.nhs.uk/opcommunity.
Mental health support
Reserves Mental Health Programme
The Reserves Mental Health Programme is a Ministry of Defence (MoD) specialist service that provides mental health assessments and treatment advice for reservists.
It works closely with the NHS and DMS to provide appropriate treatment.
Referrals for reservists are by their NHS GP or DPHC GP for their parent unit. Self-referral will only be considered in exceptional circumstances.
GOV.UK: Veterans and Reserves Mental Health Programme
Combat Stress
If you need to talk to someone, Combat Stress have a dedicated mental health support helpline for veterans and their families.
This provides confidential advice and support and is free to call for veterans, family members and carers.
The helpline number is 0800 138 1619, and it’s available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Togetherall
Togetherall is a mental health support service that provides:
- anonymous, round-the-clock online support with trained counsellors
- a supportive community, including forums for safe conversation
- free resources to help you improve your mental health
All armed forces serving personnel, reservists, veterans and their families can access these services at any time.
Our work with military famillies
In 2019, we spoke to military families about their experiences of accessing health and social care services when moving to Wiltshire.
- We found that while accessing a GP for them was straightforward, the transfer of records and continuity of treatment was more problematic.
- People told us that there was a lack of understanding of military life among health and care services and that this had affected their experience of using these services.
- They also said that accessing mental health services was sometimes difficult, and information about services in general was not always available.
We're delighted to see that OpCommunity is now in place to support military families living in Wiltshire.
