Op RESTORE: The Veterans Physical Health and Wellbeing Service

How can OpRESTORE help?

If you have a physical health injury and related medical problems attributable to your time in Service, Op RESTORE can help by:

• ensuring you can access the right care and support
• making sure you are treated by people who understand the military and specialise in the type of physical injury and related medical problems you may have
• putting together a care plan with you shaped around your specific physical care needs
• working with Op COURAGE should you need support for your mental health and wellbeing
• supporting you and your family access additional help where needed from Armed Forces charities whom we work in partnership with.

Who is the service for?

It does not matter when the physical health injury or related medical problems occurred or how long ago you left the Armed Forces, Op RESTORE can help you if:

• you have served at least one day in the UK Armed Forces
• you are soon to leave or are in the process of leaving the UK Armed Forces
• you have sustained a physical health injury that was attributable to your time in Service regardless of when that happened
• you have ongoing medical problems related to the physical injury sustained in Service
• we have received a clinical referral from your GP.

We work closely with:

• the Ministry of Defence and Defence Medical Services to ensure those transitioning out of Service have access to Op RESTORE where needed
• Op COURAGE: The Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Service
• the NHS across England, including GP surgeries and hospitals
• the 42 integrated care boards across England who are responsible for most of your health and social care
• Armed Forces charities, including Defence Medical Welfare Services (DMWS), Blesma - The Limbless Veterans, Help for Heroes, the Royal Marines Charity and Blind Veterans UK, who can offer you further support.

How can I get help? 

Ask your GP to complete the Op RESTORE referral form and email it to imperial.oprestore@nhs.net – we can then create a plan for you using clinical information from your medical records.

Download our leaflet for more information about The veterans physical health and wellbeing service for those who have served in the UK ArmedForces.

How long will it take?

Once we have your referral and the Service-related clinical information from your GP, our multi disciplinary team, made up of doctors, nurses and therapists, will review it. This process normally takes about eight weeks, during which time we will develop a plan for your care.

It may be that you are already receiving the most appropriate health care for your needs. If this is the case, we will let your GP know that there is no clinical change to your NHS care, though you will still be able to access welfare and wellbeing support if you need it.

We want to make sure that you are seen by a clinician with the right skills and experience to treat you, so may refer you to other NHS services depending on your clinical needs.

We use existing NHS services and because of this you may have to wait a while before seeing someone. Please be aware that the NHS service we recommend may or may not be local to you. We will work with you to ensure you are able to see the best person to treat you, with the choice of where you go for treatment remaining with you.

Whilst Op RESTORE is unable to reduce NHS waiting times, we work alongside Armed Forces charities to provide wider support to you and your family.

Then what happens? 

Once your clinical plan has been agreed by a consultant with expertise in Service related physical health injuries and associated medical problems, we will contact your GP who will let you know the next steps. We aim to make sure everything runs smoothly. Your support worker will stay in touch with you, providing further help for you and your family if needed.

Information links 

• NHS England – Healthcare for the Armed Forces community.  Visit the NHS website for information
• Op COURAGE: NHS mental health specialist service designed to help serving personnel due to leave the military, reservists, armed forces veterans and their families. You can contact the service yourself or ask your GP, a charity or someone else, such as a family member to do this for you. Visit the Op COURAGE website for more information.
• Op NOVA: provides support for veterans who are in contact with the justice system, enabling them to access the services they need. Visit the Op NOVA website for more information.
• Op FORTITUDE: a housing hotline for homeless veterans to get the help they need. Staff will refer callers to a network of support, including housing providers, charities and local authorities. Call 0800 952 0774 to access this service.
• DMWS: visit the DMWS website for more information.
• Blesma - The Limbless Veterans is a charity that helps all serving and ex-Service men and women who have lost limbs, or lost the use of limbs or eyes, to rebuild their lives by providing rehabilitation activities and welfare support.  Visit the Blesma website for more information.
• Help for Heroes: is a charity which supports members of the British Armed Forces community with their physical and mental health, as well as their financial, social and welfare needs.  Visit the Help for Heroes website for more information.
• The Royal Marines Charity (The RMA) is the official charity of the Royal Marines, providing lifelong support to current and former Royal Marines and their families.  Visit The Royal Marines Charity website for more information.
• Blind Veterans UK is a charity providing free support and services to vision-impaired ex-servicemen and women and National Service personnel.  Visit the Blind Veterans UK website for more information.