We are a veteran- friendly practice!
The surgery is proud to be accredited as a veteran friendly practice by the Royal College of GPs. If you have been affected by this, we would initially suggest you have a look particularly at the following resource, “Op Courage” which is the veterans’ mental health and wellbeing service. Please click the links below for more information.
Dr Flewers is our veteran GP and we could book you a routine appointment if you feel you need further support. Otherwise, our duty team are always available to speak to in a crisis.
Togetherall
Veterans can access Togetherall’s Online Therapy with Dr. Julian through participating TILs. Firstly, a referral (or self-referral) is made to the local Op COURAGE, where the Veteran will be assessed for suitability and referred to an appropriate service, which could include Dr Julian. You can find out more information about the Transition, Intervention and Liaison Services (TILs) and OpCourage via the NHS website.
Togetherall provides:
- A supportive online community – moderated by professionals at all times (BACP members or equivalent)
- An anonymous space, free from stigma or judgement.
- A safe place to talk at any time of the day or night.
- A library of self-help materials, including structured online courses on topics such as managing depression, improving sleep and our ‘managing PTSD’ course, which has been specifically designed to support the Armed Forces.
The service is free for veterans and can be accessed immediately through a computer or mobile devices.
Togetherall’s partnership with NHS England
NHS expands Veterans Mental Health Support through partnership with Togetherall and Dr Julian. Togetherall have been supporting the UK Armed Forces for over 12 years, and during that time, have supported over 15,000 members of the Military Community.
NHS England and NHS Improvement have now enhanced the partnership to provide an online counselling service to clients of OpCOURAGE, the Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Service.
The Live Therapy service will expand the capacity of the current commissioned veterans’ mental health services and will help to address waiting times which have seen an increase in demand resulting from both the COVID-19 pandemic and a decrease in charitable services.
Over many years of experience, Togetherall has seen the benefits of combining its online and moderated peer-support model alongside courses of CBT and other forms of counselling. Individuals can benefit from the support of the community while waiting for, during, or following discharge from counselling.
Treatment will be delivered through the digital therapy provider, Dr Julian, working in association with Togetherall. We made the decision to work alongside Dr Julian after a detailed assessment of their experience and capability to provide Step 3 psychological CBT and Counselling therapy.
Clients will be offered eight sessions of therapy (online remote video, audio, or instant message appointments). Dr Julian provides clients access to therapists that may meet specific cultural and language requirements for minority groups and access to appointments at times that suit them, with operating hours across 7 days a week.
Togetherall is a safe anonymous online community where members can share what’s on their mind, take comfort reading the thoughts of others or browse the many resources available.
