Veteran's Cards
They cynicism displayed in this thread is appalling.
The card has allowed MOD to pretend to care about ex-serving personnel! It's kept staff busy, distracts from the Mcloud disaster, and actually hasn't cost very much. There is no risk attached, and it fills up space in various press releases. Good value.
The card has allowed MOD to pretend to care about ex-serving personnel! It's kept staff busy, distracts from the Mcloud disaster, and actually hasn't cost very much. There is no risk attached, and it fills up space in various press releases. Good value.
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I thought that was certain classes of FJ pilots.
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Purveyor of Egg Liqueur to Lucifer
Nigerian In Law
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Long time lurker here: I work in the NHS and if you identify yourself as having a military connection (serving, veteran, spouse, children etc) you get referred to the Defence Medical Welfare Service who are ace and will make sure you are looked after appropriately. This could be treating you in a better way if you have PTSD relating to hospitals, or would rather not have a beeping machine, or if your partner is deployed and you are struggling to get to appointments with your kids in tow and no childcare. Whatever it is that military life has made harder for your appointment/treatment the NHS & DMWS will try to sort it out, but only if they know you are military. So a pin badge helps (I wear mine on my lanyard in case anyone spots it and wants me to help) and maybe a card would too? All patients are supposed to get asked on their arrival whether they have a military connection but it doesn't always happen.
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Long time lurker here: I work in the NHS and if you identify yourself as having a military connection (serving, veteran, spouse, children etc) you get referred to the Defence Medical Welfare Service who are ace and will make sure you are looked after appropriately. This could be treating you in a better way if you have PTSD relating to hospitals, or would rather not have a beeping machine, or if your partner is deployed and you are struggling to get to appointments with your kids in tow and no childcare. Whatever it is that military life has made harder for your appointment/treatment the NHS & DMWS will try to sort it out, but only if they know you are military. So a pin badge helps (I wear mine on my lanyard in case anyone spots it and wants me to help) and maybe a card would too? All patients are supposed to get asked on their arrival whether they have a military connection but it doesn't always happen.
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Avoid imitations
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My NHS medical centre is so out of date with my medical records that they still believe I’m overdue some vaccinations - overdue since 1957.
My son’s mother in law has worked there for many years and she recently told us that she is appalled how ineffective the system there has become with regard to patient administration.
They are about to build a new health centre on vacant land nearby. I inexplicably received a patient’s opinion survey on how the architecture at the front of the building should look. I responded saying that I didn’t care what the building actually looked like as long as I could get an appointment, which is nigh on impossible by any means these days.
I haven’t even bothered to mention that I’m a veteran. Knowing the standard of English of some of the staff they would probably think I look after sick animals.
My son’s mother in law has worked there for many years and she recently told us that she is appalled how ineffective the system there has become with regard to patient administration.
They are about to build a new health centre on vacant land nearby. I inexplicably received a patient’s opinion survey on how the architecture at the front of the building should look. I responded saying that I didn’t care what the building actually looked like as long as I could get an appointment, which is nigh on impossible by any means these days.
I haven’t even bothered to mention that I’m a veteran. Knowing the standard of English of some of the staff they would probably think I look after sick animals.
There is an NHS app which can be used to sort these things out, view test results, order repeat prescriptions and all sorts of other useful stuff.
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Yes, I’m very much aware of the app and regularly use it for repeat prescriptions but it’s no help in getting a GP appointment when it simply states “no appointments available”, no matter how far in advance. The useless vaccination records are available there, too.
This health centre was placed in a “special measures” category for some time. Presumably these were lifted at some stage but things have gone very much downhill over the last few years.
It can only get worse. There is a massive house building surge in this area but no additional facilities seem to be in hand.
This health centre was placed in a “special measures” category for some time. Presumably these were lifted at some stage but things have gone very much downhill over the last few years.
It can only get worse. There is a massive house building surge in this area but no additional facilities seem to be in hand.
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Yes, I’m very much aware of the app and regularly use it for repeat prescriptions but it’s no help in getting a GP appointment when it simply states “no appointments available”, no matter how far in advance. The useless vaccination records are available there, too.
This health centre was placed in a “special measures” category for some time. Presumably these were lifted at some stage but things have gone very much downhill over the last few years.
It can only get worse. There is a massive house building surge in this area but no additional facilities seem to be in hand.
This health centre was placed in a “special measures” category for some time. Presumably these were lifted at some stage but things have gone very much downhill over the last few years.
It can only get worse. There is a massive house building surge in this area but no additional facilities seem to be in hand.
I must be one of the lucky ones. The appointments option appears to be open, with options to select surgery, doctor and type of appointment. I did not actually try to book one though, so full test not complete.
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Glorious Devon is obviously better served than elsewhere. Our local health services are overwhelmed. They keep building multiple housing estates here but there are no more medical or dental facilities being made available. We have family members who cannot register with a dentist.
It has proven to be next to impossible of late to get a phone call to our GPs surgery answered. You get to listen to a message telling you to book an appointment online….despite having tried and failed to do so first.
I was recently sent a letter from them saying I needed to provide a urine sample for aftercare monitoring. No sample bottle was included. I had to make a special journey to the surgery to collect one, only to be told it had to be taken first thing in the morning, rather than there and then. So I had to make a second journey the following day to deliver it. I then subsequently received a second letter telling me they also needed a blood sample. I had to make a third journey.
The only practical way of seeing a GP now is to call 111 or 999 and I have no idea who my GP actually now is.
It has proven to be next to impossible of late to get a phone call to our GPs surgery answered. You get to listen to a message telling you to book an appointment online….despite having tried and failed to do so first.
I was recently sent a letter from them saying I needed to provide a urine sample for aftercare monitoring. No sample bottle was included. I had to make a special journey to the surgery to collect one, only to be told it had to be taken first thing in the morning, rather than there and then. So I had to make a second journey the following day to deliver it. I then subsequently received a second letter telling me they also needed a blood sample. I had to make a third journey.
The only practical way of seeing a GP now is to call 111 or 999 and I have no idea who my GP actually now is.
Last edited by ShyTorque; 14th Mar 2024 at 00:53.
Purveyor of Egg Liqueur to Lucifer
Seen on SM that the Army Flying Museum has replaced the ‘AAC Veterans with AACVA membership card’ requirement in its discounted/free admissions, to ‘Veterans with a HM Armed Forces Veteran Card’.
https://armyflying.com/visit/admissi...arydiscounts-1
https://armyflying.com/visit/admissi...arydiscounts-1
Seen on SM that the Army Flying Museum has replaced the ‘AAC Veterans with AACVA membership card’ requirement in its discounted/free admissions, to ‘Veterans with a HM Armed Forces Veteran Card’.
https://armyflying.com/visit/admissi...arydiscounts-1
https://armyflying.com/visit/admissi...arydiscounts-1
Still, I can now bin another ice-scraper from the wallet.
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No chance of GP appointment where I live and our hospital is in a constant state of emergency.
The current Government (and their predecessors Cameron & Osborne) have done an excellent job of breaking the NHS, I hope they are proud of themselves.