FRIDAY, 24 JUNE, 2022

Photograph attached: l-r senior adult psychotherapist Jon Webster, Peter Davidson, Dr Michelle Ramage, senior adult psychotherapist Jody Payne, Sarah Dickie, peer support worker Lee Messham and Lorna Birse-Stewart

Visit to Veterans First Point Tayside marks Armed Forces Week 2022

NHS Tayside Chair Lorna Birse-Stewart visited Veterans First Point Tayside to meet the team delivering support to local veterans.

Veterans First Point Tayside works alongside NHS Tayside and Dundee Health and Social Care Partnership to provide services for veterans across the Tayside community.

The team includes veteran peer support workers who bring personal experience of military service to the role, and clinicians with expertise in the assessment and treatment of a range of mental health needs.

They aim to support veterans by providing a range of information on a variety of topics including health and wellbeing and social networking, as well as signposting to organisations and charities that can provide additional help.

NHS Tayside’s Executive Champion for Armed Forces Sarah Dickie and non-executive Board member Peter Davidson also joined the visit, which took place during Armed Forces Week 2022.

The team provided information on the work of Veterans First Point, including peer support and psychotherapy.

Lorna Birse-Stewart said, “I was delighted to visit Veterans First Point which provides essential services for veterans across Tayside.

“I very much welcomed the opportunity to meet with the team and to hear more about the considerable work they do to provide advice and support to ex-service personnel.

“I have also been keen to hear more about the strategic developments of veterans health and wellbeing services in Scotland, including the work of the Scottish Veterans Care Network. This is especially significant during Armed Forces Week which shows support for the men and women who make up the armed forces community.”

Dr Michelle Ramage, clinical lead for NHS Tayside Adult Psychotherapy Services and Veterans First Point Tayside, said, “The Veterans First Point team provides an important service to veterans and their families living in Tayside and works closely with a range of other health, social care and voluntary sector organisations.

“Most ex-service personnel adapt and re-integrate into civilian life without experiencing significant difficulty. The most frequently encountered difficulties on leaving the armed services are problems with accommodation, employment and finance. However, a minority will experience mental health problems and a small, but significant, proportion of ex-service personnel develop more severe enduring psychological difficulties. The team provides an invaluable service to this group of people.

“Appointments are informal and relaxed, providing veterans and their families the opportunity to talk with members of the team and self-refer for welfare advice from our peer support workers or assessment by one of the team clinicians. We support the veterans as they are referred on to other services for treatment as well as delivering specialist psychological therapy in-house.”

Sarah Dickie added, “I am grateful for the warm welcome given by the wider team, clinicians and veterans during our visit. It was a marvellous opportunity to learn about the collaborations and range of providers working together to create a single point of support for veterans, whatever their needs may be.”

Contact:

NHS Tayside Communications

(01382) 424138