You may find the latest (27/9/21) Summary of the Bill that is the most relevant to the Veteran Covenant Healthcare Alliance (VCHA) here.

This Bill will strengthen the legislative basis of the Armed Forces Covenant to help ensure that those who serve or have served, and their families, are treated with fairness and respect in the communities they serve.

VCHA Team Leader Guy Benson said: “In healthcare, much has already been achieved, but service families and veterans may still experience disadvantages and variance, often as a result of them moving to new locations, or because of healthcare requirements resulting from military service.”

“Clause 8 of the Armed Forces Bill imposes a duty to have due regard to the three principles of the Armed Forces Covenant (Healthcare, Education and Housing) which are vital to the day-to-day lives of our military family community,” he added.

The former British Army Officer and veteran continued: “This duty will apply to all bodies responsible for commissioning and delivering healthcare services across the UK.   The VCHA Team, as part of NHS England & Improvement, continues to raise awareness of the nuances of the military community. To date, 97 NHS Trusts in England are supporting this initiative and have become Veteran Aware.” 

To find out more about the VCHA, click here.

ENDS