I was sitting in my GP surgery last week and I saw a poster that said ‘say you served’ – what does this mean? I did serve back in the day, is this something I need to know about?
This is such a great question and thanks for getting in touch!
Say you served, is a UK government campaign to encourage veterans and ex – service personnel to let their GP practice know they have served in the UK Armed Forces.
It does not matter how long someone served for or when they left the Armed Forces. Please still let your GP surgery know this information as it may be relevant to your health and care, now or in the future.
For example, there may be veteran specific services such as Op COURAGE: The Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Service and Op RESTORE: The Veterans Physical Health and Wellbeing Service that might be appropriate. At Suffolk Family Carers, we recognise that those who have served are often the ones being cared for, but we also recognise that veterans and those who have served might also find themselves undertaking the caring role. Our Serving Suffolk Families Past and Present Team offer support if you or the person you care for have served. You might have noticed that we ask questions about service when you register with us, and the reason for this is that it helps us think about other organisations we might be able to involve to support you if needed. You might also be interested to know about a new partnership across the region called ‘Veterans Voice’ offering a range of services to veterans and their families.
As part of this, we are really pleased to be offering some groups for family carers where they, or the person they care for is a veteran, this includes people who completed UK national service. They are friendly and informal groups, offered monthly in Bury St Edmunds, Claydon and online. We would love it if you came along.
Our next Claydon session falls just before Armed Forces Day, so I am sure we will have some extra nice cake to celebrate.
In the meantime, our dedicated webpage also highlights a range of local support available.
