Welsh NHS Confederation response to the Defence Committee inquiry into the Armed Forces Covenant
Key points
Our members agree that there are specific areas where the Armed Forces Covenant (AFC) is working well. The AFC has established a baseline of requirements within NHS settings, bringing the management of the armed forces community’s healthcare needs to be at the forefront of NHS strategies and policies.
Members have particularly highlighted the AFC's success in cultivating collaborative relationships between health boards, local authorities, and third-sector entities throughout Wales. These partnerships have been instrumental in expanding the availability of comprehensive, integrated care and support services for the armed forces community.
However, to improve the effectiveness of the AFC, our members have highlighted that there needs to be greater consistency in its application, enhanced employment support for veterans, increased career opportunities for military families, and broader awareness across all sectors.
Moreover, extending the AFC legal duty to central government and devolved administrations would improve healthcare and employment outcomes while holding government departments accountable for delivering real change. However, careful planning would be required to manage funding, policy coordination, and implementation across devolved administrations.
Overall, our members believe the AFC is effective in raising awareness and uniting people to support the armed forces community. However, the current challenges are not with the AFC itself, but with the coordination between organisations which has an impact on service members and veterans and hinders the aims of the AFC's.
