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Armed Forces and Veterans

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Information and support for the Armed Forces and Veterans community.

Proudly supporting those who served

Important: If you are in crisis

... call 999 immediately. 

Consider contacting Samaritans or Breathing Space.

Know who to turn to

Your Armed Forces Champion

The NHS Highland Armed Forces Champion is Jo McBain. She is your dedicated point of contact for:

  • guidance on how to use the Armed Forces Covenant when accessing services
  • complaints about our services linked to the use of the Armed Forces Covenant
  • feedback about our progress as an Armed Forces and Veterans-aware organisation

Jo can be contacted at:

email nhsh.armedforceschampion@nhs.scot

Our community

The Armed Forces and Veterans (AF&V) community includes all those, who are currently serving in either the regular or reserve forces, veterans, the family of service personnel or veterans, or bereaved family members.

Veterans are defined as anyone, who has served for at least one day in HM Armed Forces (Regular or Reserve) or Merchant Naval Seafarers, who have deployed as part of a military operation.

Let us know if you are part of the AF&V community. You are entitled to priority access to NHS care for conditions associated with time serving in or supporting the Armed Forces (service-related).

Priority access is always subject to clinical need and doesn’t entitle you to jump ahead of someone with a higher clinical need - but if we don’t know that you are part of the AF&V community, we can’t make it happen!

Myth busters

  • You are a veteran even if you "only did National Service".
  • You are a veteran even if you "didn’t go anywhere".

It doesn’t matter when, how or where you served. It doesn’t matter how you left the services. If you served, you served.

  • But we're divorced.

You are part of the AF&V community if your partner served, even if you separated or divorced later.

One person joins but the whole family serves.

Our commitment

The team at NHS Highland are very proud to have signed up to:

  • the Armed Forces Covenant
  • the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) 
  • the Pride in Veterans Standard

We have been awarded ERS Gold and will continue to work hard to support our employees from the Armed Forces and Veterans community.

We are at the beginning of our journey with the Pride in Veterans Standard. We are committed to becoming Armed Forces and Veterans-aware for all our veterans, reservists and their families. We aim to understand the challenges of service life and to remove the barriers to successfully accessing healthcare and employment.

The team at NHS Highland would like to thank the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust for their support. Their funding has been pivotal to the AF&V project, and has helped them to develop and deliver training and resources to support both our staff and our patients as we strive to become more Armed Forces and Veterans-aware. The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust is a charity and a Non-Departmental Public Body that awards grants to programmes and projects that support the Armed Forces community.

Armed Forces Covenant Employer Recognition Scheme - Gold Award Armed Forces Covenant Trust Funded By HM Government Logo Pride In Veterans Standard Fighting With Pride Logo

The Armed Forces Covenant

What is the Armed Forces Covenant?

The Armed Forces Covenant is a promise by the nation to ensure that members of the Armed Forces and Veterans community are not disadvantaged by their service. It has been signed up to by many public, private and third sector organisations.

It is also a legislative duty for public sector organisations that deliver education, health and housing. The duty states that when a specified body exercises a relevant function, it must pay due regard to:

  • the unique obligations of, and sacrifices made by, the Armed Forces
  • the principle that it is desirable to remove disadvantages arising for Service people from membership, or former membership, of the Armed Forces
  • the principle that special provision for Service people may be justified by the effects on such people of membership, or former membership, of the Armed Forces

What does this mean in terms of healthcare?

It may mean that if your condition, injury or illness is likely linked back to military service, then you should be prioritised for access to services and treatment in line with clinical need.

It may mean that if you are re-assigned and move from one NHS Board or Trust area to NHS Highland, then you retain your place on the new waiting list and don’t have to start again.

Where can I find out more about the Armed Forces Covenant Duty?

See the Armed Forces Covenant Duty Statutory Guidance at GOV.UK

silhouette of a Highland Piper from the Armed Forces against an orange sky

Armed Forces and Veterans

Last updated: 3 June 2025

Next review date: 1 September 2025

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NHS Highland
Assynt House
Beechwood Park
Inverness
IV2 3BW

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