Military Life
Networking To Optimise Veterans' Care
Veterans who suffered trauma during their military service should now find it easier to access the right long-term care.
The Veterans Trauma Network has been set up in ten NHS centres of excellence across England.
The initiative is supported by the MoD, and many regular and reserve Armed Forces medics will work in the centres, alongside NHS staff, making sure each patient gets the treatment they need.
The network is led by the NHS, so veterans can ask their GP for a referral.
One of those veterans is triple amputee Matt Weston.
Matt was permanently injured in Afghanistan by a bomb, and had since endured around 50 operations.
Shehan Hattiaratchy is a huge part of the Veterans Trauma Network, and says that the doctors who treat people like Matt also work in the NHS.
He describes the challenge as one of logistics, figuring out how to get these experts into the right position to help veterans like Matt once they come under the NHS umbrella.
The MoD welcomes the Veterans Trauma Networks, saying the model of right care, right place, at the right time can only benefit the veteran population.
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