Veteran Support

Veteran Support

We, at Ashfields Primary Care Centre are proud to be an accredited Veteran Friendly GP practice.

As a Veteran Friendly GP Practice we:

• Have a Veterans Champion David Crosthwaite who is supported by the whole practice to improve veteran health services.
• Ask patients ‘Have you served in the Armed Forces?’ to help identify veteran patients and code them on our system.
• Support veteran patients to access dedicated health services.

If you’re a veteran patient, please let us know that you have served so that we can make sure that we understand your health needs.

Royal British Legion can offer people that are serving, have served and their families, including ex-partners, children under the age of 18 or over 18 if cared for.  The RBL have a Grants Portal which has more information about the support they can offer but it includes £200 per month for fuel, up to a total of £2,400 (2 years).  They can also provide white goods and brown goods and up to £500 crisis grant.  For more information, please click on the link (https://www.britishlegion.org.uk/get-support/financial-and-employment-support/finance/grants/cost-of-living-grants).

Did you know:

• There are 2 million veterans in England across all ages and with different medical needs
• GP practices have an average of around 300 veteran patients. That equates to seeing approximately 1 veteran patient each day
• Over 1,600 GP practices are now accredited ‘veteran friendly’
• 99% of accredited practices would recommend the accreditation

As a veteran, you can ask for a referral to a specialist Orthopaedic clinic at The Robert Jones & Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital, Oswestry, Shropshire, SY10 7AG. There is a specific Veterans Clinic run by Lt Col Carl Meyer, an Army Reserve consultant surgeon who also works with 202 Field Ambulance and Reserve Hospital.

Lt Col Meyers specialises in hips and knees,  the nursing staff are outstanding too.

If you feel that you are waiting too long, this might be the way to go to achieve a much quicker result.

What is it?

A service for military veterans to have their hip or knee arthritis assessed and, if appropriate, have joint replacement surgery and is led by Lt Col Carl Meyer, Military Consultant Hip and Knee Arthroplasty Surgeon at Oswestry specialist orthopaedic hospital.

Lt Col Meyer is an Army Reserve officer who has been on three tours to Afghanistan and one to Iraq. He is an Orthopaedic Trauma Surgeon with 16 Medical Regiment, 202 (Midlands) Field Hospital.

Who is it for?

Anyone who has been in regular military service, including national service.

Where is it?

The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (RJAH), Oswestry, Shropshire .

How do I obtain an NHS referral?

Through your GP – Ask to be referred to the VETERANS’ HIP & KNEE SURGERY SERVICE at Oswestry – And ask your GP to make a named referral to Lt Col Meyer:   

–Veterans Aware Links Veterans Breakfast                                          

If we can assist further please don’t hesitate to get in touch with the surgery.