Local NHS reaches out to offer helping hand to region’s 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.”
Families can access this new support service in a number of different ways, either by telephone or email, or by filling in the form on the ICB website, which will then generate a callback.
07880 300 035
Find out more at bsw.icb.nhs.uk/opcommunity.
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.
