UHNM Armed Forces team raise awareness for veterans support

The UHNM Armed Forces Champion Team is raising awareness for the armed forces community by providing bespoke workshops to trainee GPs.

The team recently provided awareness training in Stoke-on-Trent to over 80 trainee GPs who are currently in either their first or third year of training.  The training was aimed at equipping the students with knowledge and understanding of the various health needs and difficulties that the armed forces community face due to service life, when transitioning to civilian life and how primary care services can help to support them. 

Students who have completed the workshop have returned to their current practice and are now helping to further raise awareness in line with the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) Veteran Friendly Practice campaign, which recognises and supports practices in delivering the best possible care and treatment for patients who have served in the armed forces.  

David Smith, UHNM Armed Forces Champion Team, said: "This was a fantastic opportunity to share information with our primary healthcare services around supporting our armed forces community patients and we look forward to future opportunities to assist with future training cohorts."   

Dr Alwyn Ralphs, North Staffs Vocational Training Scheme Training Programme Director, said: "There is little understanding of what happens to people who leave the forces, what their health needs are and how they can be helped within General Practice.

"The training helps to address these issues and the feedback illustrated new knowledge had been gained. It will help raise the profile of veterans needs in the minds of these doctors and help in supporting veterans in the community."