Over the past couple of weeks, the BNTVA has been grateful for increasing opportunities to tell the stories of our nuclear test veterans in the Telegraph, regional BBC South East news and through an interview on the red sofa for BBC Breakfast on 23 April, followed by a further interview with Naga Munchetty on BBC Five Live.

As a result of this media exposure, the BNTVA has been contacted by dozens of nuclear test veterans and their family members, requesting assistance with physical and mental health issues.

It is clear that the nuclear tests have affected a great majority of nuclear test veterans and their families in a number of ways. A few veterans had a great time at the tests and clean-ups, whereas many are still suffering from the emotional and breach of ethics of the tests.

Richard Wood, who contacted me after the interview on BBC Breakfast, shared his dreadful experience of life as a young 16 year old civilian as a crew member of RFA Wave Sovereign at Grapple X on BBC Five Live with Naga Munchetty. Richard and his fellow crew members weren't allowed to leave the danger zone surrounding Christmas Island despite not actually having any supplies on board ship. They were locked below deck by armed Royal Marines, and witnessed the flash of the 1.8 megaton thermonuclear bomb through the ship's steel. After the blast, he went on deck with the other crew members and exclaimed "Now I've seen hell". These images affected his thoughts and dreams over the decades, yet Richard has developed coping mechanisms over the years. He keeps himself busy at the age of 81 by running a fresh fish business.

John Folkes, who has shared his story through ITV Meridian and BBC South East and the BBC website Nuclear test 'cloud sampler' living with PTSD decades on - BBC News, still suffers from a hand tremor which developed during his first cloud sampling sortie, aged 19, at Operation Buffalo. John describes his experiences of seven cloud sampling missions during Operations Buffalo and Antler, Maralinga, in great detail and has touched the hearts of so many with his passion to talk of the injustices of the nuclear tests on the participants.

I can continue with the experiences of our veterans - from the British servicemen who were caught within the United States Joint Task Force 8 at Operation Dominic/Brigadoon, where the Americans rushed to airdrop all manner of nuclear bombs near Christmas Island in 1962 before the Partial Test Ban Treaty came into force.

John Lax, David Taunt and Peter Lambourne have explained their vivid experiences of 24 bombs in 78 days plus a Polaris missile fired towards Christmas Island by the USS Ethan Allen, which Michelle, our secretary, blogged about a few days ago.

Michelle is busy collating oral histories as I write, where Britain's nuclear test veterans share the accounts of their participation at the nuclear tests, the impact on their lives and on their families. If you'd like to share your story, please contact us through the website, info@bntva.com or 0208 144 3080.

Indeed, the BNTVA has been busy searching and connecting with the experts who can provide priority healthcare for veterans and their families, and we are keen to share what is accessible and how:

Veterans Orthopaedic Service (VOS).

The Veterans Orthopaedic Service is led by Lieutenant Colonel Carl Meyer and is open to those who have served with the UK military, including through National Service conscription. The VOS has been set up to treat arthritic lower limb problems, especially those requiring hip and knee replacements. More about the service can be found here RJAH - Orthopaedic Surgery

Patients are assessed by a Veterans' Service doctor at clinics which take place on Thursday afternoons  and Friday mornings. For more information about this service, please contact Lt Col Carl Meyer's Medical Secretary, Rebecca Jones, on 01691 404344. 9651fa0c-3ad2-4969-b9e7-60a966ca78c1.pdf (rjah.nhs.uk)

Referrals start at your local GP Practice (except in Northern Ireland). Where necessary, prior funding arrangements with your local Health Board or Commissioning Group will need to be in place. Specific area requirements are as set out below:

England: Under Patient Choice within England you can be referred to a provider of your choice, your GP will advise you of the process. Compliance with our local Value Bases Commissioning policy will apply in all cases. More information about this is available on the website rjah.nhs.uk.

Wales: Your GP must follow the Welsh Veteran Policy before you can be referred out of area and treatment may be offered locally.

Northern Ireland: Current Northern Ireland rules prohibit referral to England unless funding has been approved. Please note: funding can only be arranged by a Consultant Surgeon in Northern Ireland.

Scotland: Funding will need to be agreed by the relevant Health Board prior to referral.

If you have any questions about this service, please feel free to contact the BNTVA too on 0208 144 3080.

Veterans Trauma Network (VTN).

If you are a veteran (including nuclear test veteran), the VTN can help you if you believe that your physical injury/illness is as a result of your service, whether from ionising radiation or anything else. I recently met the head of the VTN; he is an army surgeon and passionate about expanding this service.

We have tried and tested this, and it works! A nuclear test veteran was extremely unwell and contacted us recently. We informed him about the VTN and told him to return to his GP to specifically say that he is a veteran, as well as hand over the VTN email address. His GP wrote to the VTN, and he was referred immediately for appropriate treatment, which, if he had not, would have been life-threatening.

So, nuclear test veterans, please, if you feel you aren't getting anywhere with your GP, please inform them that you are a veteran, that your injury is associated with your service if you feel that it is and tell your GP to refer you by email  england.veteranstraumanetwork@nhs.net. 

The VTN has 12 specialist centres run by military and civilian doctors in England and Wales. It has a collection of 12 NHS Veteran Trauma Centres and four specialist units, each with military and civilian medical experts who will be able to help you with your physical service-related health problem.

VTN clinicians will work with you to develop the best clinical plan for your needs. They will not necessarily prioritise you over other NHS patients but the aim is to get you to the teams who can understand your needs and deal with them appropriately. Your care will be prioritised on clinical need as would happen with any NHS patient, but in the spirit of The Armed Forces Covenant. No other NHS patient will be disadvantaged by you seeking help.

The VTN will put you in touch with a Veteran Support Worker who will make contact with you to learn about your circumstances – both medical and non-medical. The Support Worker will guide you through the treatment pathway of the VTN, as well as ensuring you are signposted to the specialised support available for veterans and their families.

The Veteran Trauma Centres are located in Birmingham, Leeds, London (St Mary’s Hospital), Brighton, Liverpool, Middlesbrough, Bristol, London (Kings College Hospital), Nottingham, Cambridge, London (Royal London Hospital) and Oxford.  The specialist units are located in East Grinstead, Frimley, Preston and Salisbury.

Veterans and Families Counselling Service.

We are pleased to inform you that we have built a collaborative working arrangement with a Forces' charity and successfully referred both veterans and descendants for specialist counselling. The counselling is provided by a BACP therapist, trained in complex PTSD and veterans' and military families' issues.

Although we are in the process of working on a bespoke service with a counsellor trained in issues that our veterans and their families may endure due to the nuclear tests, we can assure you that this referral service works with a 24-hour turnaround. The process entails speaking to Michelle, Shelly or Ceri at the BNTVA where we will complete the referral form with you and then you will have to complete a consent form with the counsellor.

So, if you feel you require confidential counselling as a nuclear test veteran, sibling, wife, widow or descendant, please contact us on 0208 144 3080, info@bntva.com or through the website, where we will put you in touch with the service.

Veterans' Covenant Healthcare Alliance

Veterans Rehabilitation Project NHS England is committed to raising awareness among healthcare professionals of Veterans’ needs. The Military Covenant health commitments are included in the NHS Constitution and Mandates and form part of the contract with every NHS commissioned provider. This helps to ensure all healthcare professionals will be considerate of these services. Veterans and Armed Forces issues, including the role of the Covenant, now form part of the curriculum for all GPs nationally and are tested in the Royal College of General Practitioners membership exam.

The Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance (VCHA) is a team of professionals who are working with NHS providers, including acute, mental health, community and ambulance trusts, to gain their veteran aware accreditation status to support to the armed forces community.

Rehabilitation clinicians, Sarah Barker (Occupational Therapist) and Maisy Provan (Physiotherapist) are undertaking this project aiming to create clinical pathways and a set of recommendations for veterans in the NHS. This project will consider rehabilitation in the Ministry of Defence, to aid the transition of military personnel in to NHS care. The initial focus will be on:

 MSK, specifically shoulders, hip, knee, ankles, back and amputees

 Chronic pain

 Psychological effects of injury.

We met with Maisy and Sarah last year to share the experiences of Britain's nuclear test veterans within the VCHA, and heard from Major (retd) Ian Razzell who gave a keynote speak at the BNTVA conference 2021 concerning Veterans' Aware GP surgeries. Ian made it clear that not only veterans but their families can access priority care. We know of veterans and their families that have stated this to their GP, and that this works too. Our very own Vice Chair, David Bostwick, tested this via his GP, and obtained a speedy referral for private healthcare paid for by the NHS.

Don't forget to mention that you are a veteran or the family member of a veteran when accessing healthcare, for more targeted healthcare.

Legal and benefits' help.

The BNTVA is working with a military veterans' legal link with a two-way referral process for legal help including:

Free war pension representation by a pool of pro bono solicitors trained by the BNTVA in claims concerning ionising radiation and the nuclear tests

Complaints via an Ombudsman 

Benefits' and housing issues for our nuclear test veterans and their families

Access to Legal Aid where possible.

These specialist workers are very quick to process applications, and if you need assistance then please contact the BNTVA where we will refer you for help with a trained specialist.

Battle Back

The BNTVA is at the beginning of a collaborative partnership with the Royal British Legion for nuclear test veterans who don't rely on care and can self-prescribe their medication. The activity weeks start on a Monday and are based at the beautiful Battle Back Centre at Lilleshall, Shropshire. We are working with the RBL to provide free activity weeks for nuclear test veterans and their families through Battle Back, so Leeds Beckett University neurobiologists get to understand he physical and psychological experiences of our British nuclear community more.

To apply for a Veterans Course all you have to do is complete the online application: https://form.jotform.com/210403718144345  – if you have any difficulties completing the form,  please contact the BNTVA. The course includes adapted activities such as cycling, climbing, archery, walking, bowling and much more.

Veterans’ Course Selection Criteria
Participants must:
• Be independently mobile, even if a wheelchair user
• Able to independently transfer from one vehicle to another
• Able to participate in activities
• Have a moderate level of mobility and fitness
• Not be actively involved with the Community Mental Health Team
• Not have been detained under Sec. 2 or Sec.3 of the Mental Health Act within the last 3 months or currently under a Community Treatment Order

The Battle Back Centre:
• Is unable to provide clinical, medical or nursing support
• Will give precedence to those who have not benefitted from other Recovery programme courses
• Allocation process will be based on perceived need based on the facts presented
• Confirms there is no age restriction
• Will require basic medical information, to ensure your safety, but details will be destroyed once the course has finished, in accordance with RBL GDPR policies and procedures

The RBL writes, "The course is fully funded by the British Legion and is free to attend. All meals and use of equipment is included. We do provide a mileage allowance of 16p per mile, should you need to claim. The general process is that I will contact you about two months before the course to carry out our “Get To Know You Call”, and complete any further paper work. After which, about a month before the date we will confirm your reserved place and any necessary travel arrangements.

Approximately two weeks prior to the course you will receive joining instructions, together with further information about the centre and the course. A week before the course you will be invited to attend a welcome meeting (via computer / laptop / phone), just so that you can meet others on your course and the coaches. I hope that you consider our Veterans course and look forward to hearing from you."