Healthwatch Essex has published a new report on the Healthcare Experiences of the Armed Forces Community in West Essex, capturing the voices of veterans, serving personnel, and their families and carers.
Transitioning from military to civilian life can be complex and disorienting. Navigating NHS healthcare adds another layer of difficulty, with many facing barriers to accessing the services they need. In November 2024, the Hertfordshire and West Essex NHS Integrated Care Board commissioned Healthwatch Essex to explore these lived experiences.
Through in-depth engagement with members of the armed forces community, healthcare professionals and representatives from military charities, we developed twelve case studies that form the foundation of this report. These stories highlight both the challenges faced and the resilience shown by those who serve or have served. Drawing from these findings, we have developed a series of recommendations to improve healthcare experiences and strengthen both current and future NHS service provision.
Understanding the Scale
According to Essex County Council’s Armed Forces Needs Assessment (AFNA), around 4,150 Ministry of Defence and UK Regular Forces personnel resided in Essex as of April 2023. Veterans were more than twice as likely to report poor health compared to non-veterans (AFNA, 2024) and nearly one-third were living with a disability (Census, 2021). National surveys show that loneliness and social isolation remain significant issues—especially for those struggling to adjust after service.
The Challenges of Transition
Leaving the armed forces can bring a profound loss of identity and purpose. One veteran told us: “It can be a shock to the system.” Others spoke of feeling “utterly lost” after losing the structure, community, and meaning found in service life. Many veterans experience social isolation and loneliness, struggling to connect with civilians who may not understand military culture.
Although ex-service personnel often possess highly transferable skills, entering the civilian workforce can feel overwhelming. Military life provides job security, housing, and structure. Without that, many face unemployment, housing instability, or financial hardship—factors that can contribute to mental health decline. Alcohol and drug misuse is also a concern, with Combat Stress reporting that 43% of their registered veterans experience alcohol-related issues.
Accessing Healthcare
While the NHS does offer dedicated services for veterans, such as Op COURAGE and the Veteran Friendly GP accreditation, awareness is inconsistent. Many veterans are unaware of what support is available, or how to access it. Delays in registering with a GP, patchy medical record transfers, and a lack of military cultural understanding among civilian healthcare professionals creates multiple healthcare barriers. The Armed Forces Covenant promises fair treatment for veterans and their families. Yet several participants described its implementation as “a tick-box exercise” or “just another badge on the wall.”
As of February 2025, 1,278 Primary Care Networks across England (99.46%) have at least one GP practice ‘Veteran Friendly’ accredited. In total, 4,273 (68.42%) GP practices across England have been accredited, but the label alone does not guarantee understanding. One participant noted, “Even some veteran accredited GPs are not fully aware of what is available to veterans.” Another added, “The majority of veterans won’t know what Op COURAGE is. Not everyone in the NHS knows about Op COURAGE.”
Mental Health
Mental health stigma is still deeply rooted in military culture, preventing many from seeking help. Between 2022 and 2023, 1 in 8 armed forces personnel accessed military healthcare for mental health reasons, with women reporting issues such as sexual trauma and barriers to support (AFNA, 2024). Conditions like PTSD, depression, and anxiety often go unreported or untreated. One of the key themes in our findings is the need for better mental health services, increased awareness, and stronger efforts to reduce stigma—particularly during and after the transition to civilian life.
The Role of Families and Carers
Families and carers are often the unseen support system behind serving personnel and veterans. They face upheaval with every relocation, impacting their ability to access healthcare and maintain continuity of care. Spouses and children may also deal with the emotional strain of living with someone affected by trauma, while carers can experience secondary PTSD or burnout. Delays in healthcare access are common when families are moved before reaching the top of waiting lists. Rebuilding relationships post-deployment can also be fraught. These family experiences must be more deeply integrated into healthcare planning.
Forgotten Voices: Older Veterans
While much focus is on younger veterans and active personnel, older veterans—particularly those in non-military care settings—are frequently overlooked. Many are not identified as veterans and miss out on recognition and specialised support. Memory conditions like dementia may be complicated by past trauma, leading to misunderstood behaviours. One care home activity manager told us, “You have to remember what they sacrificed.” As younger veterans with complex histories move into these settings, new challenges will arise, demanding proactive preparation and awareness from healthcare providers.
Moving Forward
Improving healthcare for the armed forces community requires more than policy—it needs cultural change, training, and a consistent, informed approach across services. Veteran-centric care, co-designed with lived experience in mind, can make a meaningful difference.
This report highlights the importance of listening to and learning from those with direct experience. Through collaboration between healthcare providers, local councils, military charities, and the community itself, we can create a system that supports veterans and their families with dignity, compassion, and clarity.
Harper Brown, Director for Integrated Specialised Care at Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care Board, said about the report:
“We appreciate all of the armed forces community that took the time to share their experiences of healthcare in west Essex. The ICB, along with our partners, are committed to ensuring members of the Armed Forces Community have fair and easy access to health and social care services. We have already started using these recommendations to agree some steps to take to improve services for this community. Working closely with Healthwatch Essex we intend to better meet our commitment to responding to the needs of the armed forces community, incorporating their experiences into our service design, and providing a more informed, resourceful and preventative approach for both current serving members or the armed forces and all our veterans.”
This project was led by Project Officer Lily Boag.
You can find our report here. For more information about this project, please contact Lily Boag at [email protected].