Armed Forces Day: NHS shines a light on support for armed forces community
As the UK celebrates Armed Forces Day on Saturday 24 June, Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT) is raising awareness of support available for the armed forces community.
As a certified Veteran Aware trust and holder of gold accreditation from the Employer Recognition Scheme, EPUT’s services are exemplars of the best support for the armed forces community including current personnel, reservists, veterans and their families.
An Army veteran from Felixstowe shared why having NHS services specifically tailored to the needs of the armed forces community is vital.
Craig Lucas joined the 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment at 22 and served for five years. He suffered some hearing loss as a result of a large explosion during a tour of Afghanistan and was medically discharged from the Army within a month.
“I went straight into employment as a personal trainer and continued like normal,” he said.
“But then it crept up on me really slowly. I started suffering from anxiety and really bad depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Stressful situations would trigger me and I would be very sensitive to stress.
“That’s when I knew that something needed to be done.”
Craig, from Felixstowe, had some counselling sessions and when they ended, he tried to cope alone.
He said: “From that point I fell into smoking marijuana and trying to block out the stress and cope on my own. There were a couple of years where I really lost myself.”
Craig’s mum helped him find support, which eventually led to him finding out about Op COURAGE.
Op COURAGE is an NHS specialist mental health service designed to help serving personnel due to leave the military, reservists, veterans and their families.
Craig, now 33, has been receiving support from counsellor Spencer Orchard for the last year.
He said: “I trust him because he as a serviceman – he thinks the same way, he speaks the same way as me. I had that level of trust straight away and I knew whatever stories I told him, nothing would shock him.
“I really wanted to change, I really wanted the help. The progress I made from our counselling sessions was quick.
“Now I feel I’m in a place where I can manage my levels of stress. Depression is a thing of the past, anxiety is pretty much a thing of the past.
“I stopped taking drugs and have learned much healthier, long-term coping mechanisms. Substance misuse to fill the emotional void I felt does not work. The real way to fill that emotional void is through therapy and mindfulness.”
“Everything is so much better because of the work I did with Spencer.”
Since 2017, Op COURAGE has helped more than 30,000 veterans and personnel approaching discharge across England.
EPUT leads a partnership of NHS organisations and reputable charities to deliver the Op COURAGE service across the East of England Region (Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire).
Each member of the Op COURAGE team has either a military background or experience working with the armed forces community.
People can self-refer to Op COURAGE by calling 0300 034 9991 or emailing mevs.mhm@nhs.net – a friend, family member, healthcare professional or charity can also make a referral on your behalf.
Read more about Op COURAGE and who can use this service at https://eput.nhs.uk/OpCOURAGE
David Powell, Regional Lead for Op COURAGE East of England, himself a veteran and Army Cadet Force instructor, said: “We are rightly proud of our commitment to supporting the armed forces community.
“At EPUT, we the courage it takes to seek help. In the armed forces community, we often feel we need to be independent, strong and resilient – but we can be all of those things and still ask for support.
“I’d like to stress that Op COURAGE can support anyone who has served in any of the UK Armed Forces, including reserves. It doesn’t matter when you left the armed forces, or how long you served for. If you think you may need support, reach out and make that call.”