Overview
- Doctors, nurses and other staff across England start receiving specialist training from November 10 to recognise service backgrounds and tailor care for serving personnel, veterans, reservists and families.
- The initiative is delivered through regional trainers across hospitals, GP practices and community services to embed Armed Forces awareness throughout the NHS.
- All NHS trusts are now accredited as Veteran Aware, a Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance standard that requires identifying military backgrounds and building Armed Forces‑friendly practices.
- Officials and veterans’ groups, including NHS England’s Armed Forces Health leadership and charities such as Help for Heroes, welcomed the rollout, with veterans highlighting the training as vital.
- Coverage notes persistent barriers to care because many ex‑service personnel do not self‑identify, while a separate £2 million fund was announced for local war memorial repair and conservation.