Over £2 million for Armed Forces veterans

Services that provide mental health support to Armed Forces veterans have been given a funding boost.

The Scottish Government has announced £1.4 million for Combat Stress and a further £666,000 for Veterans First Point.

Combat Stress is a UK-wide charity which helps veterans and their families deal with mental ill health including post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression. Veterans First Point is a free advice and support service for former service personnel provided as part of the NHS.

The funding announcements for 2022-23 were made during a Scottish Government debate in the Scottish Parliament covering both the health and veterans portfolios.

Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Veterans Keith Brown said:

“As we emerge from the pandemic, the mental health of the whole population is a fundamental consideration for the Scottish Government and we must be particularly mindful of the mental wellbeing of veterans who have sacrificed so much for us all.

“It is vital veterans receive the help they need which is why we are continuing to fund specialist organisations such as Combat Stress and Veterans First Point. We are also working hard to ensure veterans have access to housing and jobs.

“Our veterans and service families contribute a huge amount to our society right across Scotland and I remain committed to providing the very best support for the veterans community.”

Background

Combat Stress provides a range of community, outpatient and residential mental health services to veterans with complex mental health issues related to their military service.

Combat Stress is currently relocating services to Glasgow and Edinburgh to provide more accessible support for veterans.

Veterans First Point is an NHS partnership involving a range of third and public sector organisations which provides confidential advice to ensure veterans get the support they need.

There are currently six Veterans First Point Centres - in Tayside, Lanarkshire, Ayrshire & Arran, Fife, Borders and Lothian.