Responding to the findings of the ‘Call to Mind: Wales’ report, Welsh Conservative health spokesman Darren Millar AM said:
“We welcome the findings of the report, which show that much more needs to be done to support the mental health of our veterans in Wales, for who we owe a great debt.
“Of the 10,000 Welsh veterans who live with some form of PTSD, just a fraction get referred on to Veterans NHS Wales, which exists to provide specialist support for our ex-servicemen.
“Sadly there remains a worrying lack of knowledge among veterans and their families regarding service-related mental health issues, and consequently a large number of veterans are unaware of where to go for treatment.
“Mental health services for veterans need to be much more clearly sign-posted, so that those who need help can get it with maximum ease. This is vital if they are to lead normal lives and re-integrate into civilian life.
“I call on the new Cabinet Secretary for health to make the mental health needs of our veterans a priority going into the new Assembly term, and to increase the funding of Veterans NHS Wales to enhance its capacity and make sure that support is visible and accessible to all who need it.”
