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Armed Forces: Mental Health Services

Answer

MOD takes very seriously its responsibility to provide high-quality mental healthcare to its personnel, and Defence Medical Services' mental health practitioners remain in touch with the latest advances and developments in treatment in order to ensure that patients receive the most effective and efficient management, subject to proper scientific evaluation and comparison with current effective treatments. We sponsor research and epidemiological studies that address aspects of the mental health of both the in-service and veteran populations. We also maintain a close dialogue with the military medical services of our principal allies, to share understanding and best practice. Additionally, our Academic Centre for Defence Mental Health, based at King's College London, is constantly reviewing the development of new treatments across the national and international spectrum and producing advice accordingly.Diagnosis and treatment of mental health disorders in members of the armed forces are performed by trained and accredited mental health personnel. In Afghanistan, we deploy uniformed mental health nurses to provide in-theatre care and treatment for our personnel. If personnel need to leave the operational environment, then their care continues either on an out- or in-patient basis in the UK or their permanent base overseas.In the UK, our mental health services for military personnel are configured to provide community-based mental health care, primarily through our 15 military Departments of Community Mental Health (DCMH) across the UK (plus centres overseas), which provide out-patient mental healthcare. The DCMH mental health teams, comprising psychiatrists, mental health nurses, clinical psychologists and mental health social workers, have particular expertise in treatments for psychological injury.For the relatively small number of military patients who need it, in-patient care is currently provided by a group of seven NHS trusts located throughout England and Scotland, led by South Staffordshire and Shropshire NHS Foundation Trust (SSSFT) through a central MOD contract.When personnel leave military service their healthcare becomes the responsibility of the NHS. Ex-Service personnel receive good treatment from their GPs but we recognise that many health professionals have limited experience of dealing with veterans who have mental health symptoms arising from their Service experience. The MOD, the four health departments and the Combat Stress charity have been working together with clinical experts and the Health and Social Care Advisory Service (HASCAS) to develop a new model of community based mental healthcare that will address assessment and treatment of veterans' mental health problems in the long term.The community mental health model is NHS-led and reflects NHS best practice. Two-year pilots, tailored to local circumstances, are operating at Staffordshire and Shropshire Foundation Healthcare Trust, Camden and Islington Mental Health and Social Care Trust, Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust, Tees Esk and Wear NHS Trust, Cornwall NHS Partnership, and NHS Lothian (led by the Scottish Executive). Evaluation of the pilot areas is now underway; early results from all six are encouraging, with evidence that veterans feel able to access and use the service with confidence. Informed by the results of the evaluation the service will be rolled out across the UK. In the interim, for areas not yet involved in the pilots, veterans with operational service after 1982 who are concerned about their mental health can attend our Medical Assessment Programme based at St. Thomas' hospital, for specialist mental health assessment by a consultant psychiatrist with extensive military experience.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

496 c2124-5W; 291119

Session

2008-09

Subjects

Armed forces Mental health services

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk