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In May 2012, the Armed Forces Partnership hosted a user-led event focusing on injured veterans’ healthcare needs and experiences, and those of their families. This brought together veterans with those responsible for the commission and provision of their health and care services, with the aim of placing veterans’ voices at the heart of the design of health and social care services.

The outcomes of this conference and the preparatory work it entailed are contained within a report, prepared by Wilson Sherriff (stakeholder engagement specialists) on behalf of the Royal British Legion and Combat Stress. To access the final report, please click here.

The report will both shape the services which the Legion and Combat Stress provide and inform the Department of Health’s plans for injured personnel, both during and after transition from service to civilian life.

On January 17 2013 The Royal British Legion and Combat Stress hosted an event to consider and answer the healthcare questions that may arise from the MoD's plans to expand and restructure the Reserve Forces.

The submission prepared by the Armed Forces Strategic Health Partnership for this consultation is now available from this link (pdf format).

The Government has launched a new resource pack for supporting older patients returning home from hospital. 

It contains information and advice leaflets, case studies, fact sheets and checklists to help health, housing and social care professionals provide the right care for older patients.

The intention is to assist with a safe return, reducing the risk of readmission to hospital.

This Resource Pack is based on, and complements, the 10 Steps in the Department of Health's 2010 publication.

Click here to access the Hospital 2 Home resource pack.

On January 17 2013 The Royal British Legion and Combat Stress are hosting an event to consider and answer the healthcare questions that potentially arise from the MoD's plans to expand and restructure the Reserve Forces.

With the Government having very recently published Future Reserves 2020, proposing how it intends to achieve the desired changes to the Reserve Forces, it is the perfect time for the Armed Forces, voluntary and health sectors to gain an understanding of the healthcare implications and to consider how we can work together to provide the best possible provision. We very much hope you are able to join us at this important event.

The key speakers will set the scene in the morning session. This will inform the afternoon group discussions and panel debate. The Minister for Personnel, Veterans and Welfare, Rt Hon Mark Francois MP, will be the Keynote Speaker. Other speakers will include representatives from Ministry of Defence (MoD), Department of Health (DH), Kings Centre for Military Health Research and the Territorial Army. A provisional agenda is available here. Please note that this is subject to addition but will remain within the specified start and end times.

The event is part of the Legion and Combat Stress's three-year programme as Strategic Partners of the DH for the Armed Forces and Veterans. The partnership aims to promote understanding of the health issues experienced by those who serve and foster new pathways of care and support. We aim to bring an array of expertise and organisations together, ensuring everyone has a voice and that we cast the widest possible net to help improve health outcomes.

The event is free of charge, refreshments and lunch will be provided. However we are unfortunately unable to cover travel costs. Please feel free to pass this invite on to colleagues whom you feel may be interested in, and able to benefit from, this event. Spaces are limited so in the event of excess demand we may have to limit the number of places per organisation.

Registration for the event will be from 9.30am for a 10.00am start.  The venue is The Albert Hall Conference Centre, North Circus Street, Nottingham NG1 5AA. It is a 15 minute walk or 5 minute taxi from Nottingham Train Station. Car parking is available, at preferential rates, in three nearby multi-story car parks. Details can be provided on request.

We would be grateful if you could please confirm your intention to attend by emailing Laura Pett with your name (including any rank, title or post nominal), job title and organisation to lpett@britishlegion.org.uk  by 7 December 2012.

If you have any special dietary or access requirements could you please make us aware of these when confirming your attendance. For other enquiries please call 020 3207 2126.

Combat Stress, the UK's leading charity specialising in the care of Veterans' mental health, has secured a new fundraising partnership with a syndicate of Young Philanthropists working in the Cabinet Office. The Young Philanthropist Syndicate chose to partner with Combat Stress to fund the delivery of clinical training for Combat Stress staff in Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR), a proven Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) treatment that is recognised worldwide.

Young Philanthropy Syndicate was founded by PwC Tax Associate Michael Harris and Deloitte Management Consultant Adam Pike in early 2011 to introduce young professionals to a career of giving and a future as leading philanthropists. Ian Davis, a Non-Executive Board Member of the Cabinet Office, Johnson& Johnson and BP, sponsored the Cabinet Office Syndicate event where the decision was made to support Combat Stress.

The Syndicate has invested more than £50,000 in charity projects in 2012. Combat Stress was invited to pitch three collaborative ideas with the Royal British Legion. The successful proposal will see Combat Stress staff trained in the technique of EMDR to ensure that Veterans who have been mentally scarred by their experiences in the Armed Forces are able to access this form of psychotherapy during an intensive six week treatment programme.

When a traumatic experience occurs, the Veteran's usual neurological coping mechanisms are overwhelmed and their memories of the trauma cannot be filed away in the brain - resulting in frequent flashbacks and nightmares.  EMDR, which is one of only two National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence recommended treatments for PTSD, aims to process the resulting distressing memories, thereby reducing their lingering influence.

Alongside clinical staff, Syndicate members will have responsibility for creating an information leaflet for Veterans on what EMDR is and how the treatment sessions will operate. They will also be involved in providing research and development around the efficacy of the scheme.

Commodore Andrew Cameron, Chief Executive of Combat Stress, said:

 "We are honoured that the Syndicate have chosen to fund the training of mental health practitioners in the trauma focused treatment of Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing. This vital treatment directly benefits those Veterans whose PTSD is most debilitating and entrenched.

"Working alongside the Syndicate will not only provide the necessary funding to train clinical staff in EMDR, but will create a revolutionary new partnership for the charity as donors take an active part in the delivery of the scheme they are funding. We hope that this will lead to a lasting relationship with the Syndicate, and that together we can ensure the continued availability of world leading clinical treatment for those Veterans who suffer from the invisible scars of conflict."

Cabinet Office Minister, Nick Hurd MP

"Young Philanthropy inspires us all to impart our time, money, and skills to good causes. I wish the Cabinet Office syndicate the best of luck with their charitable investment and look forward to this initiative spreading across Whitehall."

Notes to editors:

• Combat Stress is the UK's leading military charity specialising in the care of Veterans' mental health. Our aim is to ensure that Veterans receive the right care, in the right place, at the right time. We have supported almost 100,000 Veterans since being founded in 1919.
• At the moment, Combat Stress is working with over 5,000 Veterans - more than at any time in our long history. This includes 637 who served in Iraq and 284 who served in Afghanistan. Our youngest Veteran is just 20 years old. Demand for our services is rising: 1,500 Veterans contacted us for help in the financial year 2011-2012.
• On average it takes over 13 years from Service discharge for Veterans to make the first-step approach to Combat Stress for help, by which time their condition is often highly complex - with additional symptoms such as alcohol abuse and dependence.  This has a profound effect on the Veterans' quality of life, affecting relationships, motivation, energy levels, sleep patterns and their ability to hold a job.
   
• Combat Stress treats conditions such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression and anxiety disorders. Our services are free of charge to every Veteran. To help Veterans rebuild their lives, we provide a range of services:
• • Short-stay clinical treatment- with other Veterans - at one of our three specialist centres, in Ayrshire, Shropshire and Surrey. The treatment and care that we provide is tailored to each Veteran's needs;
  • A 24-hour Helpline(tel: 0800 138 1619). The Helpline provides free and confidential mental health advice and support line. It is for current and ex-Service personnel, and their families and carers;
  • Community Outreach- delivered by a national network of teams of Regional Welfare Officers (providing practical support) and community-based clinicians. Our support is tailored to each Veteran's needs;
  • NHS Specialist CommissionedVeterans' post-traumatic stress disorder programme. We are a centre of excellence for the treatment of PTSD;
  • A specialist Territorial and ReserveForcesLiaison Team;
  • Raising awarenessof the plight of Veterans with wounded minds within the Armed Forces and civil society.

• For more information about Combat Stress, visit www.combatstress.org.uk 

Alternatively, please contact Nicola Hudson on 01372 587 168 or email nicola.hudson@combatstress.org.uk

• Combat Stress, also known as the Ex-Services Mental Welfare Society, Registered Charity 206002; Registered Charity in Scotland SC038828; Company Ltd by guarantee: 256353.