The health service has launched a new campaign to highlight its Op COURAGE service, which now includes enhanced specialist support for addictions.

Latest available data shows that from April-November 2023, more than 4,500 referrals were made to the NHS service which provides specialist care, support and treatment to former Armed Forces personnel, reservists, and service leavers with mental health and wellbeing issues.

More than 30,000 referrals have been made to the veterans’ mental health and wellbeing ‘lifeline’ service since it was first launched by the NHS in 2017.

There are about 2.4 million veterans living in the UK.

A new survey of over 3,000 veterans and serving personal, carried out by NHS England, found that the majority (around 60%), of those who took part, said they found it difficult to ask for help for mental health issues.

Support for veterans, reservists, and service leavers through OP COURAGE is provided by trained professionals from the Armed Forces community or with extensive experience of working with the military.

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For Practices wishing to promote through their own systems, a toolkit is available here.

The toolkit contains a campaign film, social media assets, posters, email signatures, Microsoft Teams backgrounds and a Staff briefing sheet.