On the same day as a Welsh Conservatives debate on veterans’ in Wales, news that Veterans’ NHS Wales is to be provided with an extra £100,000 has been welcomed.
The recently renamed service assists veterans’ access health services in Wales, including for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
The BBC recently uncovered serious variations in treatment waiting times for PTSD.
The Welsh Conservatives debate heard of the issues facing veterans’ in Wales and calls for additional help to be provided, including the creation of a Veterans’ Card Scheme for Wales.
The Veterans’ Card would enable; an expansion of concessionary bus travel for veterans, free access to CADW sites, free access to council swimming pools, priority treatment for service related conditions and injuries on the NHS, and priority delivery of Disabled Facilities Grants for home adaptions.
Aberconwy AM/AC Janet Finch-Saunders said “Every year we remember our veterans but 2014 is particularly important. It is the centenary of the start of the First World War and 70 years since the D-Day Landings. Therefore it would extremely timely for the Welsh Government to seize this chance to further help our veterans of conflicts old and new.”
“I am very disappointed that up until now the Welsh Labour Government have opposed us in our efforts, despite a previous Minister responsible backing it”.
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Notes to Editors
Sunday Politics Wales found that waits for PTSD treatment varies from 2 weeks to 6 months. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-27943253
Speaking in the Assembly Chamber on 7th November 2012, Carl Sargeant, then Minister for Local Government and Communities said:
"The Member raised the all-Wales veterans card. In the last meeting of the ministerial advisory group on the armed forces, I asked for this to be taken forward because of the benefits of it. It may not be exactly what opposition members requested during their debate, but I have asked the group to consider the opportunities that it would give ex-service personnel in Wales to present without question and say, ‘We are ex-service personnel and we should either be prioritised or get access to these services’. That is something that we will be presenting in the near future."