New partnership launches peer support for veterans

NHS services and community organisations join forces in new partnership

NHS services and community organisations across the region joined forces to launch a new partnership on Armistice Day.

Left to right: Toby Lewis, Chief Executive RDaSH; Blue Thornhill and Andy Beaumont, Veteran Peer Support Workers; Richard Woodhouse, Health Inequalities Manager DBTH; and Noma Makhanda, Deputy Chief Allied Health Professional RDaSH. | Kay Baker

placeholder image — Left to right: Toby Lewis, Chief Executive RDaSH; Blue Thornhill and Andy Beaumont, Veteran Peer Support Workers; Richard Woodhouse, Health Inequalities Manager DBTH; and Noma Makhanda, Deputy Chief Allied Health Professional RDaSH. | Kay Baker

The scheme aims to help veterans and their families to connect, access support and use their skills to help others.

Supporting the ‘Serving Our Community’ partnership, the Veteran Peer Support initiative brings together Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust (RDaSH), Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (DBTH) and the People Focused Group (PFG).

Toby Lewis, Chief Executive of RDaSH, said: “We know that veterans bring a wealth of skills, experience and resilience to our communities. This partnership is about making sure those strengths are recognised, while ensuring veterans and their families can find the right support when they need it.

“In part this is about accessing national specialist programmes, but also better aligning community and complex care services locally to make them more effective when they are needed.”

The project will provide veterans with a range of support including one-to-one peer support, help to navigate health or community services, meeting other veterans, volunteering or simply connecting with someone who understands. The Veteran Peer Support Project will recognise the important role of spouses, partners and families.