Armed Forces special stakeholder brief
April 2023
Welcome to this special issue of our Armed Forces stakeholder brief. On 1 April 2023, the revised service model for Op COURAGE: The Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Service went live and Op NOVA: Supporting Veterans in the Justice System launched.
This is an exciting time for the NHS England Armed Forces healthcare commissioning team and represents the culmination of significant engagement, procurement, mobilisation and coproduction activity. Many thanks to everyone who has supported in progressing this work to date, especially to members of our Patient and Public Voice (PPV) group and to those who took part in engagement.
Op COURAGE: The Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Service
Op COURAGE is now delivered under a single service specification, formally having been commissioned as three individual services:
• Veterans' Mental Health Transition, Intervention and Liaison Service (TILS)
• Veterans' Mental Health Complex Treatment Service (CTS)
• Veterans' Mental Health High Intensity Service (HIS)
This will make the service user journey smoother and more consistent across England. Regionally based mental health provider collaboratives will be led by the following lead providers:
Lead Provider Region
Cumbria, Northumberland, NE/NW England
Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust East of England
Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Trust Midlands
Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust SE England
Camden & Islington NHS Foundation Trust London
Avon and Wiltshire Partnership South West England
Engagement with the Armed Forces community has consistently demonstrated that there is a need to improve awareness of Op COURAGE amongst the Armed Forces and across the NHS. To support this we are finalising arrangements for an Op COURAGE marketing campaign which will launch later this spring. A campaign toolkit will be available shortly.
Further information on Op COURAGE is available at www.nhs.uk/opcourage
Op NOVA: Supporting Veterans in The Justice System
Following a robust procurement exercise, we have appointed the Forces Employment Charity to deliver Op NOVA, an England wide service for veterans who come in to contact with the justice system, pre and post prison custody.
This non-clinical service builds on existing provision to improve the identification and support of veterans pre and post prison custody. Working together with NHS services and health and justice services, as well as charities and other organisations, Op NOVA provides a single point of contact for veterans, who, following an assessment, will have a comprehensive support plan developed for them that is overseen by a care and support co-ordinator.
Op NOVA, which is being delivered by Forces Employment Charity in collaboration with Care After Combat, builds on the success of Project Nova that supported veterans pre prison in five regions of England. Visit here for more information on Op NOVA.
Following a naming convention engagement exercise earlier this year, the name Op NOVA: Supporting Veterans in The Justice System, was agreed. For a copy of the engagement report, please email kate.barnett12@nhs.net
