Portsmouth South MP Flick Drummond today called on the Military Covenant to be strengthened so that veterans in need of help are not ‘cast away’.
Speaking during the Armed Forces Bill debate, Flick told MPs that she has seen a number of serving and ex-service personnel facing a variety of problems ranging from family law to healthcare and housing - all resulting from their military service.
She said that too often they were forced to seek help from dedicated ex-service charities like Combat Stress or the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity.
‘Some of them wonder what the Military Covenant actually stands for when they find themselves banging their head against the doors of officialdom,’ she told the House of Commons.
‘I hope that the Military Covenant can be strengthened so that nobody leaves feeling like they are ‘cast away’.’
Flick told the debate that Combat Stress has seen a 28% increase in referrals in the last financial year.
‘I should pay tribute to the work of the Department of Health, who make a strong contribution to supporting veterans, but it is too often felt that we take a reactive approach to the challenges of service life and health outcomes rather than a pro-active one.' she added.
Flick also urged the Government to continue the NHS contract with Combat Stress beyond its current end date of 2017.