All NHS trusts in England now accredited as Veteran Aware
- Jun 26, 2025
- 1 min read
All NHS trusts in England have now received Veteran Aware accreditation, according to the Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance (VCHA), marking a milestone in efforts to improve recognition of the Armed Forces community within NHS services.
The Veteran Aware programme is designed to help healthcare organisations better understand the needs of serving personnel, veterans, and their families. Participating trusts are encouraged to ensure that patients are asked about military service where relevant and that staff understand how service history may influence health conditions and treatment needs.
As part of the programme, NHS organisations appoint Armed Forces champions, develop links with regional veteran support services, and promote awareness of specialist healthcare pathways available to veterans.
These pathways include NHS services such as Op COURAGE, which provides specialist mental health support for veterans, and Op RESTORE, which supports veterans with complex physical health needs related to their military service.
The accreditation process has been rolled out across England in recent years through collaboration between the NHS, the Ministry of Defence, and organisations supporting the Armed Forces community.
The VCHA says the programme aims to ensure that veterans receive appropriate recognition and support when accessing NHS care, particularly where service-related factors may influence diagnosis, treatment, or referral decisions.
Veteran Aware accreditation is intended to demonstrate that a healthcare organisation has taken steps to understand the Armed Forces community and improve staff awareness of veteran-specific healthcare considerations.
The announcement coincided with Armed Forces Day activities highlighting the contribution of veterans and the importance of ensuring that public services understand and support the Armed Forces community.