Access your local GP
Your local GP should be your first point of contact for managing your physical and mental health as a veteran.
Talk to your GP
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Tell your GP you’ve served in the armed forces. It doesn’t matter how long you served or when you left the armed forces.
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Ask for the term ‘military veteran’ to be recorded in your patient record. This will help your GP to better understand any military-related health conditions you may have and ensure you are referred, where appropriate, to dedicated health and well-being services for veterans.
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Give your GP paperwork and medical records from you military medical centre. This helps to ensure your military health record transfers to you NHS record.
If you don’t have a GP
If you don’t have a GP, it’s important to register with one as soon as possible. They should be your first point of contact for managing your physical and mental health as a veteran. Don’t leave this until you urgently need to see a doctor. If you have a family, it’s important they register with a GP too.