The NHS is responsible for providing all hospital and most community services for serving personnel (except for mental health, general practice and rehabilitation services). The NHS also provides nearly all community, general practice and hospital services for the families of serving personnel.
It is important to ensure that your GP surgery registers your family members on the NHS system as a dependent of a currently serving member of the British Armed Forces.
The code for family members - 13WW: dependant of currently serving member of British Armed Forces. This code flags to the GP and other NHS services that they are a dependent and can be supported through the Covenant in certain circumstances.
Further information can be found as below;
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health costs help - check if you are entitled to free prescriptions
Transferring NHS medical care from one area to another
If an immediate family member has been on an NHS waiting list for treatment (whether physical, mental or dental health treatment) in the area of your previous posting, the time spent on the waiting list will be taken into account when you register for treatment in this area.
This is because the NHS Constitution in England has been changed to embed the two key principles of the Armed Forces Covenant. Page 17 of the Handbook to the NHS Constitution states:
"As part of this principle and in line with the Armed Forces Covenant, the NHS will ensure that members of the Armed Forces Community (including those serving, reservists, their families and veterans) are supported, treated equally and receive the same standard of, and access to healthcare as any other UK citizen in the area they live..."
"Families of serving personnel moving around the country, any time taken on an NHS treatment waiting list will be taken to account in their new location."
If you do experience problems with transferring your NHS waiting list time, contact the relevant Families Federation;
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Army Families Federation - AFF health and additional needs specialist at additionalneeds@aff.org.uk
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Naval Families Federation at admin@nff.org.uk or call 023 9265 4374
Local authority health and wellbeing services
Local authorities work to improve the health and wellbeing of its residents. Information on a range of health and wellbeing issues can be found:
Military Families Federations health information and support for families
The three families federations also provide lots of information and support on health matters for serving families: