Issue - meetings

To discuss data available for service planning for veterans and the delivery of the Armed Forces Covenant. (10 mins)

Rhosyn Harris, Public Health, presented a report regarding data available for service planning for veterans and the delivery of the Armed Forces Covenant.

During the discussion of this item the following points were made:

·         Estimates suggested that there were 1,720 working- aged (aged 16-64) Armed Forces veterans living in Wokingham Borough.  A veteran could be anyone who had served in the Armed Forces for a day or more.  Younger veterans in particular may not recognise themselves as such.

·         Consideration of veterans’ needs in the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment was key to ensuring that the commitment to local veterans set out in the Armed Forces Covenant was fulfilled.

·         The Board was informed that health services for Armed Forces were commissioned by a number of different bodies.

·         Board members were provided with information around the number of veterans in the Borough.  It was noted that veterans could be in receipt of the Armed Forces Pension or registered with their GP as a veteran.  The Clinical Commissioning Group had actively sought information regarding the number of veterans in the Borough, asking people attending for a flu vaccination whether they had served in the Armed Forces.

·         Compared with the England averages, working-aged veterans living in Wokingham Borough were estimated to have better health, were more likely to be home owners and hold higher education qualifications and were less likely to be unemployed.

·         Compared with the rest of the population veterans tended to be fit and healthy but reported higher levels of smoking prevalence, depressive illness, hearing loss and muscular skeletal problems.

·         Graham Ebers commented that it was important to recognise that the JSNA was an evolving document and that the data regarding veterans could help shape the JSNA and the Wellbeing Strategy.

RESOLVED:  That

1)         the newly published data released by ONS/MoD be considered;

2)        the call to action from the NHS Director of Health & Justice, Armed Forces and Sexual Assault Services Commissioning and Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Mental Health, Inequalities and Suicide Prevention, specifically that veterans should be considered in JSNA refresh, to note the recent publication of “Our Community, Our Covenant” a guide for local authorities to support the delivery of the Armed Forces Covenant and to note the availability of the Covenant Fund, be considered.

To receive a report regarding data available for service planning for veterans and the delivery of the Armed Forces Covenant. (20 mins)