Being referred to the Veterans' Service

If you would like to access our Veterans' Orthopaedic Service, please read the following information carefully.

Referrals start at your local GP Practice (except Northern Ireland) who will follow guidelines that are specific to your local area. In some areas, patients may be required to go through a triage service in order to assess clinical need before a referral.

Where necessary, prior funding arrangements with your local Health Board or Commissioning Group will need to be in place.

Specific area requirements

England	Under Patient Choice within England, patients can be referred to a provider of their choice and GPs will be able to advise the process. Complaince with our local Value Based Commissioning policy will apply in all cases. More information about this is available on our website.
Wales	Welsh GPs must follow the Welsh Veteran Policy before patients can be referred out of area and treatment may be offered locally.
Northern Ireland	Current Northern Ireland rules prohibit referral to England unless funding has been approved. Please note: funding can only be arranged by a Consultant Surgeon in Northern Ireland.
Scotland	Funding will need to be agreed by the relevant Health Board prior to patient referral.
Republic of Ireland	Overseas patient arrangements to access free NHS treatment will depend on individual circumstances. For more information, please contact the Overseas Healthcare Services on 0191 218 1999 or visit planning your healthcare abroad. Please note: rules may differ from other European Economic Area countries.
EU Countries	Overseas patient arrangements to access free NHS treatment will depend on individual circumstances. For more information, please contact the Overseas Healthcare Services on 0191 218 1999 or visit planning your healthcare abroad.
Outside of the EU	People who live outside the European Economic Area, including former UK residents, should ensure they are covered by personal health insurance. Patients who do not have insurance will be charged at 150% of the NHS national tariff for care they receive. For more information, please contact the Overseas Healthcare Services on 0191 218 1999 or visit planning your healthcare abroad.

Please click here to view a PDF version of the table.

Transport

Please note all transport costs are the responsibility of the patient. If a patient is eligible for hospital transport, this should be arranged with their local service prior to admission.

The Royal British Legion may support travel costs for veterans which can be arranged at an RBL branch prior to appointments or admission.

Please remember to make arrangements for a return journey home as well as admission.