Veterans Friendly Practice

Suthergrey House Medical Centre is a RCGP Veteran Friendly Accredited site. This means that our staff have received special training specific to the needs of Military Veterans and their families. There are currently in excess of 900 Veteran Friendly Accredited practices in England and this number is increasing.

Our Lead GP is Dr Sundeep Sandhu. Please feel free to contact him or our friendly reception staff if you have any queries.

Op COURAGE: The Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Service, including a new and urgent emergency mental health service for veterans

The NHS has launched Op COURAGE: The Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Service, the new overarching name for the three NHS veterans mental health services (Veteran’s Mental Health Transition, Intervention and Liaison Service (TILS), Veteran’s Mental Health Complex Treatment Service (CTS) and Veteran’s Mental Health High Intensity Service (HIS)). The new name has been developed by veterans and their families and is intended to make the services easier to find and access.

Veterans can self-refer or be referred by their GP, a charity or family or friends to access specialist care through this single route. Further details are available on the NHS website.

More than 13,000 veterans have benefitted from specialist care for problems such as anxiety and depression and almost 2,000 have received help for more complex problems such as PTSD.

The NHS Veterans Mental Health High Intensity Service (HIS) for veterans needing urgent help who are in mental health crisis has been trialled in some regions since October 2020. As part of the wider Op COURAGE service offer, it is now being rolled out across the country, with those needing urgent receiving a same day referral. Contact details are available via the above link.

We have attached links to some useful (mostly local) resources for our military veterans:

Watford & Hemel Hempstead – Armed Forces & Veterans Breakfast Clubs

Watford Borough Council – I’m homeless or at risk of being homeless – I am a veteran or currently serving member of the UK’s armed forces or reserve forces

Hertfordshire branch of SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity

ASDIC – Veterans Support Group (Abbots Langley, Herts)

Veterans’ Gateway – information, advice and support for veterans and their families

The Royal British Legion

Bold Moves – Bold Moves works with Veterans of the Armed Forces in prison and on Community Orders with the Probation Service or who are leaving custody and living in Cambridgeshire, Peterborough, Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire or Hertfordshire.

COMBAT STRESS – THE UK’S LEADING CHARITY FOR VETERANS’ MENTAL HEALTH

Business Ideas, Employment, Housing and Financial Guide for Veterans