Highlighting Veterans Day today, Liberal Democrat Defence Spokesperson and North Devon MP Nick Harvey said:

“Veterans Day is a welcome addition to the calendar and a day of great pride for the millions of veterans who have served this country with courage and honour. It is right that the UK has a special day for veterans, but the Government has a duty to veterans the whole year round.”

“There is an urgent need to review the role the NHS plays in providing healthcare to veterans. The Government pledges to give priority healthcare for veterans but has no system in place to monitor or evaluate the effectiveness of this policy. It is not clear how many veterans either use or understand this benefit.”

“Veterans often wait many years before seeking help for mental health problems relating to their service. The NHS is often their first point of contact. More must be done to raise awareness among GPs of the need for specialist treatment for those veterans who show signs post-traumatic stress disorder.”

“Despite many recent initiatives regarding veteran’s health we still need to see that more is being done to disseminate any information and initiatives regarding veterans’ health in the South West and make GPs and medical staff aware of links between health concerns and former service.”