HEALTH chiefs have promised improvements to a pioneering project helping military veterans with mental health problems following feedback from users.

An independent review of the Veterans Mental Health Project run by Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust made a number of criticisms.

Although some users were complementary about the warm, non-judgemental treatment they received, the North-East project rated poorest out the six pilot schemes running across the country for staff’s understanding of forces culture.

One user was critical of the length of waiting times.

The authors of the report also found that no data on the treatments offered to users was available. The study, conducted for the Ministry of Defence by the University of Sheffield, noted that a significant increase in awareness of veterans within the trust has been reported.

Senior managers at the trust regarded the project as an asset, the study found.

The project aims to make the NHS more welcoming to war veterans who have suffered a range of mental health problems. It is led in the North-East by consultant psychologist Symon Day.

Commenting on the report’s findings, he said trust staff taking part in the pilot had received extra training on working with veterans.

He said opinion was divided on whether it helped for veterans with mental health problems to be seen by someone with a military background.

“With many of our clients, they are acclimatising to civilian life. We want to be in the direction they’re going in,” he added.

Mr Day said that 79 per cent of veterans were seen within four weeks of their referral.

He said the trust’s information systems were being improved to log more data on the treatment of veterans.

The project has recently received £20,000 to pay for veteran trauma training.

Mr Day said a proposal to attach veteran trauma specialist to each of the trust’s five main centres was also being considered.