Beleaguered Royal Navy, Army and RAF families face cruel "lottery" for healthcare and school places

“The unpredictability and mobility of service life” makes things worse for members of the Royal Navy, Army and RAF, according to the chairman of the House of Commons Defence Committee has said. A recent report on the Armed Forces Covenant, which supports the wellness of military personnel and veterans in society, exposed that it was not being implemented consistently.

Tanmenjeet Singh Dhesi MP, chairman of the Defence Select Committee, said: “Our Armed Forces dedicate their lives to protecting our nation and make huge personal sacrifices in doing so. Military service can take a toll on personnel and their families. Service can be difficult, demanding and dangerous, so society must work hard to ensure that no one suffers disadvantages for serving the country. The Armed Forces Covenant is supposed to support those who have served, but unfortunately, our report today finds that the Covenant is inconsistently implemented – delivering value for some, but not others.”

The government is pushing for the Armed Forces Covenant to be enshrined into law. The report said there were many instances where the covenant was ineffective or disregarded. Some personnel said they were not prioritised on NHS waiting lists when they should have been, while others described their troubles with getting a school place for their child.

The committee also found there were examples of where the Covenant improved outcomes for military families, but more needs to be done. “We heard evidence of personnel being financially disadvantaged, unable to access necessary medical care, or unable to find an appropriate school for their children, due to their service.,” Mr Dheshi said.

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“When the Covenant works – it works well. Personnel and their families told us that they had successfully made use of the Legal Duty of the Covenant to access services. But this is a lottery, made worse by the unpredictability and mobility of service life. When trying to access healthcare, each move can send Service families to the bottom of waiting lists for treatment.

“Our report calls for the Covenant to be strengthened and expanded in law, and for Government to be much more proactive in ensuring the Covenant is properly understood and consistently implemented across all parts of our society. Government must provide guidance and direction, so that both the private and public sector have clarity on what their responsibilities to Service personnel and their families are, and so that personnel, families and veterans can rely on the Covenant wherever they are.”

The report recommends government departments have to take the needs of the military community into account while developing policies, and for the Covenant itself to be embedded into institutions so troops can be looked after.