Armed Forces Personnel and Veterans Health Joint Group – Strategic Oversight Group (SOG)

Attendees and apologies

• Gregor Smith Chief Medical Officer, Scottish Government (Chair)
• Susanna Hamilton - Scottish Veterans Commissioner
• Jo McBain Armed Forces and Veterans Champion, NHS Highland
• Avril Keen – Armed Forces and Veterans Champion, NHS Borders
• Sharon Callaghan - Regional Clinical Director Operations Manager, DPHC
• Karen Ross - Army Families Federation (AFF) Health & Additional Needs
• Sneha Pednekar 51X Welfare Officer
• Cllr Margaret Anslow - Local Authority Champion, Falkirk
• Cllr Ronnie Proctor Councillor - Local Authority Champion, Angus
• Martin Bell Health and Wellbeing Lead, Veterans Scotland
• Ian Cumming, CEO, Erskine
• Dean Whybrow, Primary Care Feasibility Study (Northumbria University)

Official Support

• Stephanie Johnstone Senior Policy Officer, Armed Forces and Veterans Healthcare, Scottish Government
• Gary Cocker Participation Team Lead
• Lindsey Restrick, Veterans Mental Health Lead, Scottish Government
• Mark Fergusson Veterans Mental Health, Scottish Government 

Observing

• Julie McIlroy - SVC Office
• Jake Grierson Policy Officer, Emergency Preparedness, Resilience & Response (EPRR)
• Neve Rawlinson, Senior Policy Officer, Armed Forces Families, Scottish Government 

Apologies 

• Claire Ritchie, Armed Forces Champion, NHS Lanarkshire
• Kate Nicholson, Regional Clinical Director, DPHC, Scotland and Northern Ireland;
• David Miller, Armed Forces and Veterans Champion, NHS Forth Valley;
• Wing Commander, Andrea Dowds, RAF representative.
   

Items and actions

Welcome and Introductions

The Chair welcomed members to the first meeting of the new Parliamentary term and extended a particular welcome to new members joining the Strategic Oversight Group.
Members were invited to share updates, challenges and successes from across their respective organisations and sectors.
The chair highlighted the significance of the recently published Strategic Defence Review (SDR), noting its reflections on increasing global instability, particularly across Europe, and the potential implications for defence personnel, veterans and NHS services.
Members were encouraged to review the SDR and consider its relevance to future health and wellbeing planning for the Armed Forces and veterans community.

Member Updates
Ian Cumming (Third Sector Representative) highlighted ongoing challenges associated with rising care costs, which have resulted in the closure of a number of care homes and a consequential reduction in provision available to veterans.
Despite these challenges, Ian reported positive developments including:
•    Expansion of support-at-home services.
•    Continued development of community hub provision.
•    Plans to open a third community centre in Kirkcaldy next year.
These initiatives are designed to support veterans to live well within their communities and prevent people reaching crisis point.
The chair welcomed the expansion of community-based services and recognised their value in supporting veterans' wellbeing.
Karen Ross emphasised the importance of Armed Forces and Veterans Champions and the positive reassurance they provide to serving personnel and their families.
Sharon Callaghan raised ongoing cross-border referral issues and thanked Stephanie for her support in helping progress solutions to these challenges.
Jo McBain reported that VISIN had now held three multidisciplinary team (MDT) meetings and was beginning to see a steady flow of referrals.
Key points included:
•    Referral numbers remain small but are increasing.
•    Individuals referred are already generally being supported through appropriate pathways. Emphasis on "Waiting Well" and "Living Well" approaches. Which is positive that the NHS is providing the appropriate healthcare. 
•    Continued work with Lindsey and Mark on development of the Mental Health Pathway.

Terms of Reference (ToR)
Member were asked to review the SOG Terms of Reference and the Chair welcomed comments. 
Susanna referred to previous discussions relating to implementation of recommendations and noted that the programme had evolved significantly since the original recommendations were made and updates may need to be reflected in the TOR.
Jo McBain reflected on current membership arrangements, noting that the group is largely composed of territorial NHS Boards. She suggested there could be value in considering wider representation from PSD. 
Action: It was agreed that membership considerations would be revisited as part of the ToR review.

Scottish Government Update
Gregor thanked members for their continued eagerness, enthusiasm and commitment to the work of the group.
Members were advised that:
•    Gillian Leslie, Chief Dental Officer (CDO), will become the new Chair of the Implementation Group.
•    Gillian brings both professional and lived experience of service life and understands the importance of the work.
•    Gregor also gave thanks to the previous chair, John Harden whos enthusiasm and hard work in this area greatly benefitted the progress of the work undertaken in 2025/26. 
Gregor noted that significant progress had been made across the programme and there is much to celebrate.
Looking ahead, Gregor suggested that 2026–27 should be viewed as a period of consolidation, building on established achievements while maintaining focus on delivery and assurance.
Gary provided an update on efforts to increase GP practice participation in the GP Recognition Scheme. 
Key points included:
•    Additional funding has been invested in the Veterans Scotland GP Acceleration Project.
•    The projects aim is to significantly increase participation to 50% among GP practices.
•    Engagement has been established with the Scottish Chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP).
Susanna welcomed the progress made and described it as a significant step change compared with previous years.
She also highlighted the importance of the Armed Forces Covenant Framework in supporting ongoing improvement.
Martin Bell welcomed the offer of support from the chair when liaising with RCGP and advised that:
•    A presentation at the RCGP conference is planned for October.
•    Draft letters are being prepared for Health Boards to encourage greater engagement from 2C GP practices.
•    Addressing scepticism among some GPs remains important for long-term success.
The chair confirmed he would also be speaking at the RCGP conference and offered support for ongoing engagement activities.

Veterans Mental Health Update
Mark Fergusson provided an update on the development of the Veterans Mental Health Pathway. He noted that the Scottish Veterans Care Network published the Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Action Plan in December 2021, with its key principles subsequently endorsed by Scottish Ministers in March 2022.
Following ministerial endorsement, an Independent Chair and Implementation Team were established in 2022 to develop a veterans mental health pathway. Although a final plan was submitted in late 2023, concerns raised during consultation regarding its viability led Ministers to stand down the Implementation Board in early 2024. This subsequently led to the establishment of the current Veterans Mental Health Pathway project in 2024.
The group heard that the pathway project has been guided by the principles contained in the original Action Plan, with a focus on ensuring accessible, coordinated and veteran-centred mental health and wellbeing support.
An Advisory Group, chaired by Dr Lynne Taylor, was established in 2024 with representation from the veterans community, third-sector organisations and statutory services. The Advisory Group developed a National Framework for Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Support in Scotland, which was approved by Ministers and published in March 2026.
Three Short Life Working Groups (SLWGs) have also been established to support implementation:
•    Digital Hub Group – developing specifications for a national digital hub and information-sharing arrangements.
•    Peer Support Group – creating a national peer support worker role and recommendations for training requirements.
•    Performance Metrics Group – developing measures to assess effectiveness and ensure alignment with national standards.
Mark noted that an Invitation to Tender (ITT) has recently been issued for the provision of national wraparound support for veterans with non-acute mental health needs.
Looking ahead, implementation will be guided by key principles including maintaining existing support services where appropriate, adopting a phased approach to delivery, and building on the expertise of organisations already supporting veterans' mental health and wellbeing.
The group was advised that revised governance arrangements are being developed to oversee implementation, including the creation of a dedicated statutory services group. Work is also progressing to commission the development of the national digital hub.
The immediate priority is establishing the governance groups, identifying chairs, and developing terms of reference. Subject to procurement timelines, the contract for non-acute support services is expected to be awarded later in summer 2026, representing the first stage of pathway implementation. Following mobilisation and stakeholder engagement activity, the pathway is expected to be introduced on a phased basis during 2026.
Gregor reflected on attendance at a UK Parliamentary roundtable relating to Ukraine.
He highlighted the work of the Unbroken Rehabilitation Centre in Lviv, noting in particular:
•    Extensive use of arts and cultural therapies.
•    Positive approaches to supporting individuals experiencing trauma.
•    Opportunities to consider whether such approaches are under-utilised within Scotland.
Action: Scottish Government to explore how arts-based therapies could be incorporated more fully into support pathways.
Ian Cumming supported further exploration of non-medical and creative therapeutic approaches, citing examples of rehabilitation programmes that teach individuals to paint following traumatic injury or amputation.
He noted these interventions can have significant mental health benefits and would support further investigation.
Jo McBain agreed on the value of music and arts therapies but noted these are often delivered within the charity sector and not always integrated within mainstream psychological services.
Susanna advised that the Ukrainian Consulate had also been engaged in discussions around partnership and cooperation opportunities.
Sneha welcomed progress on the pathway work and stressed the importance of peer support as part of regional service specifications.
Lindsey emphasised that while peer support should be encouraged, flexibility remains important to allow local innovation and organic development within the agreed framework.

Presentation from Northumbria University
Dean introduced himself in his role as a Mental Health Nurse and briefly outlined his involvement in Northumbria Universities national feasibility study on early intervention for Veterans within Primary Care settings. 
Stephanie encouraged members to contact her or Dean if there were any GP surgeries that would like to take part. 

Any Other Business
Ronnie advised that a motion supporting the Forces Children Charter had now been implemented across all schools in Angus, representing a significant milestone.
He also highlighted progress in identifying and recording veteran status within healthcare systems, noting:
•    His own GP practice has implemented veteran recording processes.
•    Ninewells Hospital has formally acknowledged veteran status within its systems.
The Chair welcomed the progress made in this area.
Karen provided an update on work undertaken in relation to the NHS App in England and highlighted potential opportunities for Scotland's digital services.
Discussion included:
•    Identity verification through MyScot.
•    Differences between Scottish and English approaches.
•    Access arrangements for young people and proxy access.
•    Consideration of digital-first approaches and the implications for individuals unable to access digital services.
Gregor noted that further updates on digital developments would be welcomed and referenced ongoing work involving John Cameron.
Sharon Callaghan asked that future consideration be given to ensuring serving personnel are able to access relevant services and digital systems where appropriate.
The Chair thanked members for their contributions and ongoing commitment to improving health and wellbeing outcomes for Armed Forces personnel, veterans and their families.

Date of next meeting

To be confirmed.