Simplyhealth offers free healthcare support to UK veterans of the war in Afghanistan
- Free access to mental health counselling and 24/7 video GP services for the next 12 weeks
- Any British Regular or Reservist member of the Armed Forces, or veteran, or government, or civilian government personnel deployed in Afghanistan over the past 20 years is eligible for this support.
Simplyhealth, the UK’s leading health solutions provider, today announces a significant package of support for the UK’s service personnel and veterans who served in Afghanistan between 2001 and the present day.
Military personnel face unique risks in service and a number of UK studies have found links between active service and mental health problems in armed service personnel involved in conflicts.[1] With recent events in Afghanistan in the news, specialist charities are reporting increasing numbers of people accessing their services as former service personnel seek mental health support.[2]
Simplyhealth is therefore opening up its mental health counselling and 24/7 video GP services free of charge to Afghanistan veterans to help ease the mental and physical burden many of them are facing. For a twelve week period from today, veterans will be able to access an advice helpline as well as telephone or face to face mental health counselling sessions with trained specialists. They can also book unlimited video GP appointments at a time that suits them.
We are all aware of recent events in Afghanistan and want to help at a time of great pressure on the NHS and specialist charities. As a company whose purpose is to improve access to healthcare in the UK, we feel it our duty to offer help where we can.
Simplyhealth will therefore be offering free access to mental health counselling and 24/7 GP services via our specialist network of qualified doctors and counsellors to all Afghanistan veterans for the next 12 weeks.
Simplyhealth is also making a donation to and supporting Combat Stress, the UK's leading charity for veterans’ mental health, which provides specialist treatment and support for British veterans from every service and conflict.
We have a strong history of supporting mental wellbeing through our work with the Mental Health Foundation, and many other community and charity organisations. We recognise the importance of the work Combat Stress is doing with the veteran community and wanted to put additional funding behind it, as well as offer quick access to healthcare to those in need. Our hope is that this will get the right help to the right people as quickly as possible.
Simplyhealth’s mental health support line currently has 85 counsellors who are trauma-trained, with an affiliate network of over 1,650 counsellors. Veterans who require it will be matched to a counsellor with extensive experience of working with trauma and PTSD, usually in a few days. Veterans can access these services by contacting Simplyhealth’s team on 0370 9083304.
[1] Mental Health Foundation website, Armed Forces and Mental Health: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/a-to-z/a/armed-forces-and-mental-health
[2] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-58271247
About Simplyhealth
Since 1872, we’ve been helping people make the most of life through better everyday health. Our plans make sure individuals, families and employees can easily access in-person and virtual wellbeing services, and afford to stay healthy by claiming costs back on dental treatments, visits to the optician, complementary therapies and much more.
Today we’re delighted to be the UK’s leading health solutions company, with almost 1000 colleagues serving 2.3 million customers. We don’t have shareholders, so we’re led by our purpose of improving access to healthcare, for the many, for the long term. We’re passionate about using our voice in public health affairs and partnering with charities to reduce health inequality – each year we commit to giving 10% of pre-tax profits to a range of community causes. And we ensure our business takes care of the planet too, achieving Carbon Neutral + status in 2021.
Details of the service
Any British Regular or Reservist member of the Armed Forces, or veteran, or government, or civilian government personnel deployed in Afghanistan over the past 20 years is eligible for this support. To access, call Simplyhealth on 0370 9083304.
Simplyhealth are offering free access to digital healthcare services for a period of 12 weeks. This includes:
- 24/7 access to a mental health support helpline and up to six counselling sessions, either face-to-face or via telephone
- 24/7 access to a video GP through their app, SimplyConsult
This offer is available from Tuesday 24th August until Tuesday 16th November 2021.
About Combat Stress
For more than 100 years, Combat Stress has been the UK’s leading charity for veterans’ mental health. Today, we focus on delivering our specialist treatment and support to veterans with complex mental health issues – those who have several severe mental health conditions arising from military service. With the help of Combat Stress, veterans can tackle the past and take on the future.
Demand for our services remains high. To help veterans rebuild their lives, we provide a range of free services online, in the community and at our treatment centres including psychiatric and psychological treatment; substance misuse management; art therapy; occupational therapy; peer support; family support; online self-help materials and a 24-hour Helpline (0800 138 1619).