Proudly supporting the Armed Forces community during national week of celebration

As we mark the start of Armed Forces Week, it’s a chance to show our support for the people who make up the Armed Forces community: from currently serving personnel to service families, veterans and cadets.

The week-long celebration includes Reserves Day on Wednesday 25 June and culminates with Armed Forces Day on Saturday 28 June.

Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust is an NHS foundation trust with specialist expertise in mental health, dementia, learning disabilities and autism. As a Trust, we hold the NHS Veteran Aware accreditation along with the Silver Award in the Armed Forces Covenant Employer Recognition Scheme. These both recognise the exceptional support we offer to the Armed Forces community, including reservists, veterans and military families. 

In Lincolnshire we’re incredibly proud of our strong connections to the Armed Forces community and we want to thank all the veterans, reservists and Armed Forces family members working across the Trust, as well as our patient and public voice partners.

In April 2023, LPFT was named lead provider for the Midlands Op COURAGE Partnership, one of six regions delivering the service in England. Since then, working with our partners, we’ve supported more than 2,700 veterans, service leavers, reservists and their families across both the East and West Midlands.

Op COURAGE is an NHS service developed with people who have served in the Armed Forces and experienced mental ill-health. Working together with NHS services and charities, Op COURAGE makes sure people who have served and are struggling with their mental health and wellbeing get the specialist care, support and treatment for their specific needs.

Within our Midlands Op COURAGE Partnership team, we’re extremely fortunate to have so many colleagues who are either from the Armed Forces or have experience of working with the military community. They bring a wealth of experience to their roles and make a huge difference to the veterans we work with.

We spoke to Doug, Sarah and Caroline from our Op COURAGE team at LPFT and asked them about their roles:  

Doug Wing, Operational Lead said:

“I have worked in the NHS since 2001 and qualified as a registered mental health nurse in 2007. Since then, I have worked as a clinician and manager across various teams and services, including forensic settings at HMP Lincoln, Assertive Outreach, Adult Community Mental Health and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services. Prior to this I served in the Army as a Sapper Wing in the Royal Engineers.

“I joined veterans’ services in March 2021, initially as service manager in the Lincoln hub until moving into my current role of operational lead for the Midlands Op COURAGE Partnership in early 2023.

“After leaving the Army, and before joining the NHS, I would have benefitted from the sort of support that Op COURAGE provides.

"It’s a privilege to work with veterans and support the Armed Forces community.”

Sarah Riseborough, Community Support Worker said:

“I served in the Army for 22 years. During that time, I was deployed on various operations including Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan. 

“I had been out of the military for almost six years before joining the NHS.

“As a veteran, I understand how difficult it can be for fellow veterans to reach out for the support they desperately need. I want to help veterans overcome the barriers and mental health stigmas that are within the Armed Forces community, to ensure they get all the appropriate help that they absolutely deserve.”

Caroline Francis-Quinn, Senior Veteran Liaison Nurse said:

“I served in the RAF as a personnel administrator from 1988 to 2000.

“I trained as a mental health nurse in Staffordshire and joined LPFT in January 2004 as a rotational nurse, after my husband was posted to RAF Coningsby, starting on the wards and then moving to the community.

“I made the switch to the NHS as I experienced first-hand the lack of support for serving and ex serving military and wanted to make a difference to the care and journey that veterans undertook.”

Armed Forces Week events

Members of our Op COURAGE team will be out and about at the following Armed Forces Week events in Lincolnshire:

• Veterans and Families Event (organised by the Veterans Support Service CIC)
  10am to 2pm on Wednesday 25 June at Jakemans Community Stadium, Boston
• Lincoln Armed Forces Day Event
  Midday to 3pm on Saturday 28 June at City Square (Cornhill Market), Lincoln

How to refer to Op COURAGE

Veterans, their families or other health professionals can refer, or self-refer, to services by calling 0300 323 0137 or emailing mevs.mhm@nhs.net

Please visit www.opcouragemidlands.nhs.uk for more information.

Midlands Op COURAGE is proudly delivered in partnership by: Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust, St Andrew's Healthcare, Walking With The Wounded, The Ripple Pond, Tom Harrison House, and Mental Health Matters.