FORMER armed forces personnel will soon be able to access a new NHS service to support them during a mental health crisis.
Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (LYPFT) has been appointed as lead provider for this new service to improve the health and lives of former military personnel across the North of England.
The Veterans Mental Health High Intensity Service (HIS) has been commissioned by NHS England. LYPFT will lead a collaboration of partners including NHS trusts and third sector veterans’ support organisations to deliver the service across the North of England, which we anticipate will begin fully in November 2020.
The main delivery partners are:
- Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne & Wear NHS Foundation Trust, and
- Veterans’ support charities Combat Stress and Walking with the Wounded
LYPFT already provides the successful North of England NHS Veterans’ Mental Health Complex Treatment Service (VMH CTS) – a specialist community mental health service for armed forces veterans – which launched over two years ago.
The HIS will provide liaison, advice and support for health and care services close to veterans’ own homes should they be experiencing a mental health crisis and, following that, provide support for veterans to gain stability in their lives including some support for families.
We will work in collaboration with armed forces charities to enable a veteran-centric approach to:
- Crisis mental health care
- Inpatient treatment, and
- On-going care across locally-based organisations that are best placed to support veterans near to where they live.