This petition was submitted during the 2017–2019 Conservative government
Petition Fund PTSD recovery centres for ex-armed forces and emergency services personnel
Thousands of ex-armed forces and emergency services personnel have been diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and depression.
This trauma causes flashbacks, nightmares, anger and depression - often leading to violence, alcohol and substance abuse, job loss, family breakdown and suicide.
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We aim to set up a number of PTSD “Front line” recovery centres around the country offering horticultural and other therapeutic treatments specifically aimed at helping to re-habilitate ex-armed forces and emergency services personnel and help them to come to terms with their illness and move on. We plan to arrange a meeting with members of the government and opposition parties to obtain cross party support for this project and ask for £6 million to help fund its start up.
This petition is closed This petition ran for 6 months
Related activity
MPs want to hear your views on mental health care within the Armed Forces community
A group of MPs who form the Defence Committee are looking into the mental health care services available to Service men and women, veterans and their families.
To help them with their investigation, they would like to hear people’s experiences of using these services.
You can tell them what you think is important. You can also think about a few of these questions:
• Do you know about the mental health services available to you as a serving or former member of the Armed Forces or as a family member?
• If you are a veteran, did your GP and other NHS doctors understand what you needed and what you were entitled to?
• If you or your family member has sought help, where did you go for treatment and why?
• Did you receive the care and support you needed quickly?
• Were there any specific things you would like to have seen as part of your care as a serving or former member of the Armed Forces?
• What worked well?
• What would be your one recommendation for improvement for the Committee to think about?
Tell the Committee what you think here: https://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/defence-committee/inquiries/parliament-2017/inquiry15/commons-written-submission-form/.
We know that what you say might contain sensitive personal information, so the Committee will not publish what you say in full. Instead, the Committee will publish a detailed review summarising the experiences of all those they hear from, which will include the key themes and use anonymised quotes as examples of what the Committee has seen. The Committee may also use anonymised examples to use in the report.
The Committee can’t look at individual cases. If you need confidential advice and support for your or a family member’s mental health issues, you can call Combat Stress’ 24-hour mental health helpline.
• Veterans and their families can call 0800 138 1619
• Serving personnel and their families can call 0800 323 4444
Find out more here:
What the Committee have found so far:
• The number of Service men and women reporting mental health problems has increased significantly over the last ten years, but most Service men and women still leave with no mental health problems
• Some groups – such as soldiers in combat roles and Reservists – are more likely to develop mental health problems following deployment to Afghanistan or Iraq.
• There are many gaps in the data across the UK, particularly on veterans’ mental health and suicides.
The Committee also found that it still takes too long for veterans to get treatment when they need it and what they can get depends on where they live in the UK. The full report can be found here:
https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201719/cmselect/cmdfence/813/813.pdf.
What is the Defence Committee?
The Defence Committee looks at and questions how the UK Government’s Ministry of Defence:
• is run
• spends money
• decides on its policies
It's a cross-party committee and is independent of the Government.
You can find out more about the Defence Committee on its website:
http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/defence-committee/
You can follow the Defence Committee on Twitter: @CommonsDefence
This is a House of Commons ‘select committee’. Find out how select committees work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_2RDuDs44c&feature=youtu.be
MPs publish report on Mental Health and the Armed Forces
Last year we told you about a group of MPs called the House of Commons Defence Committee looking into mental health services for Service men and women, veterans and their families, and how you could tell them about your experiences.
The Committee has now published its report.
The report calls for a "world class centre for the treatment of mental injuries suffered by Service personnel" to be set up within the next 12-18 months.
The Committee found that the Ministry of Defence and health services across the UK had made improvements over the last decade but overall "the current system still falls far short" of what many veterans and some serving personnel need and deserve.
Read the Committee’s report:
https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201719/cmselect/cmdfence/1481/report-overview.html
Find out more about the Committee’s inquiry, including all the evidence it received:
More about the Committee:
What is the Defence Committee?
The Defence Committee looks at and questions how the Government Department, the Ministry of Defence:
• is run
• spends money
• decides on its policies
It's a cross-party committee and is independent of the Government.
You can find out more about the Committee on its website:
https://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/defence-committee/
You can follow the Committee on Twitter: @CommonsDefence
The Defence Committee is a ‘Select Committee’. Find out how Select Committees work:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_2RDuDs44c&feature=youtu.be
Find out about how to get involved in your UK Parliament: