Veterans' Health
About the Veteran's Health Priority Setting Partnership
The Office for Veterans’ Affairs (OVA) leads UK government efforts to make sure the UK is the best place in the world to be a veteran. Sitting at the heart of government in the Cabinet Office allows the OVA to make sure all departments are working to provide the best support for veterans and their families. This James Lind Alliance Priority Setting Partnership (PSP) was part of this work.
The aim of the PSP was to make sure that researchers and research funders are aware of the issues that matter most to veterans and their families, and therefore the future research that will make a real difference to their lives.
The PSP heard from over 1,000 veterans, carers, family members and healthcare professionals who work with veterans, in a survey which asked for their questions or comments about the physical and mental health and wellbeing of veterans or their family, friends and carers. Their contributions were collated into a list of summary research questions and the PSP then asked veterans, carers, family members and healthcare professionals to choose the questions from the list that were most important based on their experience.
In a final stage of setting the research priorities, veterans, family members, healthcare professionals and charity representatives from around the UK were invited to a workshop in Whitehall in London in early September 2023 to discuss and agree what the final order of priority of these research questions should be.
Here is what one of the workshop participants said about the workshop:
“The day was truly memorable for me, and it was an honour to be part of such a crucial decision-making event. At moments, the magnitude of the occasion did feel intense and over-whelming. After previewing the attendee list, I had some initial reservations, wondering if individual motivations might dominate. However, the reality was much different. It was heartening to witness the collective desire to prioritise the entire Veteran community and further research on their behalf. I must also commend you and your team. The balance you maintained in ensuring every opinion was considered, without any overshadowing others, truly speaks volumes about the integrity of the JLA.”
The OVA is now calling for researchers and funders to help answer these questions and improve quality of life for former service personnel and their families.
The Top 10 and full list of questions discussed at the workshop can be found at the Top 10 link below.
The PSP was led by a Steering Group of veterans, family members, charity representatives, and healthcare professionals. Members of the Steering Group brought with them their knowledge of veterans’ health, whether from lived experience or work-related experience, and an understanding of the people that the PSP needed to hear from. A full list of Steering Group members is included in the PSP protocol (see key documents). The PSP is extremely grateful for their input and for the many other people who had input to this work, whether by responding to the PSP surveys, circulating surveys to friends and colleagues, or attending the priority setting workshop.
For more information about this work or to discuss future research, please get in touch with the Office for Veterans’ Affairs via veterans@cabinetoffice.gov.uk. A full report will be published in 2024.
The Veterans' Health PSP Top 10 was published in October 2023.
Key Documents
These documents set out the aims, objectives and commitments of the PSP.
Veterans' Health PSP Terms of Reference
Veterans' Health PSP engagement summary
Steering Group
The PSP had a Steering Group, which managed the work.
Find out who was involved in the Veterans' Health PSP Steering Group
Who is involved
The PSP had a Steering Group, which is the group of people who managed the Veterans' Health Priority Setting Partnership.
Steering Group Members
These members of the Steering Group represented former UK service personnel and their families and carers
- Andrew Huggins
- Heledd Kendrick
- Joanne Luhman
- Katie Watson
- Kayam Iqbal
- Paul Rennie
- Paula Edwards
- Tony Wright
- Zoe Morrison
These members of the Steering Group represented health professionals who work with former UK service personnel, families and carers
These members of the Steering Group represented charities working with former UK service personnel, families and carers
These members of the Steering Group represented the Government and NHS
These members of the Steering Group organised and supported the PSP
- Beverly Bergman
- Caroline Whiting
- Kristina Staley
- Nikil Patel
- Sam Tillotson
- Suzannah Kinsella
- Tammy Cheng
- Tom Caplin (until July 2023)
- Tom Verney (from July 2023)
The top 10
The most important questions
- How can access to urgent mental health care be improved for veterans experiencing a mental health crisis?
- What kinds of treatment and support would benefit partners, children and other family members caring for veterans?
- How can NHS and charity services work more collaboratively to provide joined-up care that better meets the needs of veterans?
- How can veterans be encouraged to recognise they need help and to ask for the help they need, especially for mental health problems?
- What additional steps could better prepare people for leaving military service, and avoid or reduce the health problems they may experience as veterans?
- What are the best ways to treat and manage addictions in veterans, including alcohol and drug misuse, and gambling?
- What are the best ways to treat and support veterans who experienced bullying, abuse or military sexual trauma during their military service?
- How can veterans’ mental health problems (e.g. PTSD) be detected earlier and with greater accuracy?
- How can health services better meet the needs of female veterans?
- What can be learnt from the veterans who have good mental health even after experiencing trauma? How might this help the veterans who do not do well?
The following questions were also discussed and put in order of priority at the workshop:
- How could long-term physical and mental health problems in veterans be prevented during military service?
- How can continuity of care from military to NHS services be improved, to ensure successful transfer of medical notes and ongoing care for veterans?
- How can access to specialist health services for veterans be improved?
- How can health problems be better assessed at the point of transition from military service to ensure veterans receive appropriate treatment and care?
- How can veterans’ health problems avoid being misdiagnosed (e.g. when all symptoms are incorrectly attributed to PTSD, or when health problems are not recognised as being linked to military service)?
- How can adult social care be improved to better meet the needs of veterans, their partners and family members?
- How can veterans, especially those with health problems, best be supported to find meaningful employment?
- Which long-term mental and physical health problems in veterans are linked to military service e.g. arthritis, cancer, neurological conditions? How can this link be proved?
- What treatment and support do homeless veterans need to improve their health? How can they be helped to access services?
- What are the best ways to treat hearing loss and tinnitus in veterans?
- What are the best ways to care for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)?
- How can the different health and care professionals caring for veterans better co-ordinate their care?
- What are the best ways to support veterans to manage life-long mental health problems?
- Do veterans receive better quality treatment and care from professionals who know and understand life in the military and the experiences of veterans?
- What is the impact of adapting to civilian life on the family members of veterans? What support do partners, couples and families need at this time?
- How are the psychological needs of female veterans different to male veterans? How can services better meet their needs?