Military Veterans

Spital Surgery is an accredited Veteran Friendly GP Practice. We are proud to support our Armed Forces community. As a Veteran Friendly GP Practice we:

• Have a clinical lead for veteran health, Dr Simopoulos

• Ask patients ‘Have you served?’ to identify veteran patients

• Support veteran patients to access dedicated health services

• Undertake specialist training to meet the health commitments of the Armed Forces Covenant

If you are a veteran patient, please let us know that you have served so that we can make sure that we understand your health needs.

For information on how the NHS aims to help military veterans click here: NHS- Priority treatment for veterans

For more information on the duty of care owed to service personnel, read the information provided on this leaflet by click this link: the_armed_forces_covenant

We are conscious that some patients registered at the surgery may be affected by current events in Ukraine or Afghanistan.  Spital Surgery is accredited by the Royal College of General Practitioners as one which specialises in the care of military veterans and their families.  If recent events have affected you and you wish to seek help, please come forward.

Below are details of various local support services and clubs for veterans:

For details of local veterans breakfast clubs please click here: Veterans Breakfast Club  **

For information about Joining Forces Veterans Project run by Age UK click here: Joining Forces

Dementia Together hold a Memory and Veterans Café every Thursday 10am – 12 noon at The Heart of Egremont, Guildford Street, Wallasey CH44 0BP, phone 0151 639 4441 for details. **

**Please note due to the COVID19 Pandemic and lockdown restrictions, the Veteran Café morning and breakfast club may be suspended. Please contact the relevant charities via the links provided to discuss this further with them.

Veterans Gateway provides a single point of contact for veterans seeking advice and support, click the following link to be directed to their website: https://www.veteransgateway.org.uk/

Spital Surgery Veterans Modelling Club – We’re looking to start an armed forces model-making club locally. If you are interested please contact reception and we will pass your details on to Len from our Patients Group for more information.

The Poppy Factory

Unemployed veterans who receive health treatment on the Wirral can now get help moving back into employment via a new service launched by The Poppy Factory, based at The Stein Centre at St Catherine’s Hospital in Birkenhead. Ex-Forces men and women can access one to one support with career planning, training opportunities, CV writing and job application advice. Veterans wishing to get employment support can refer themselves to Andrew Pickersgill, contact details below:

Mobile: 07387415429 | Email: a.pickersgill@nhs.net or andrewp@poppyfactory.org

Poppy Factory Head Office: 020 8940 220

The Poppy Factory has provided us with the below posters, containing further information about employment support they provide for veterans on the Wirral:

The Poppy Factory Employment Support Poster

The Poppy Factory Wirral Flyer 2021

Veterans in Mind

The Military Veterans Service Booklet details the Veterans in Mind service provided by Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, who provide psychological therapy and recovery interventions to ex-service men and women who have served with the armed forces and are registered with a GP in Cheshire and Merseyside (excluding Liverpool).

The service delivers specialist, high quality, and effective clinical treatment to veterans who suffer from ongoing psychological issues, resulting from their time as a serving member of the armed forces.

Veterans in Mind support those with psychological difficulties. Such as:

• trauma related problems
• various anxiety based problems
• substance misuse
• problems with self-management, including anger
• depression and problems related to adjusting to civilian life after military service

To refer yourself to this service, please contact single point of access on 0151 908 0019
Alternatively, you can complete the online referral form via https://www.gmmh.nhs.uk/military-veterans-services/

More information about the support that Veterans in Mind provide is available on the below posters:

Veterans in Mind – Trifold Leaflet