Armed forces facing ‘lottery' in access to healthcare and school places
Military personnel are facing a 'lottery' in access to healthcare services for themselves and their families and getting their children into school.
The 'unpredictability and mobility' of service life has made this worse, the chairman of the House of Commons Defence Committee has said.
Inconsistencies in the implementation of the Armed Forces Covenant, which supports the military community through a range of initiatives and grants, puts personnel at a disadvantage, a report from the committee found.
A 'worrying number' of people felt that the covenant was 'ineffective' or had been 'disregarded' when they cited it, the report said.
Some reported they missed out on getting NHS treatment because they fell to the bottom of waiting lists when moved to a new place of duty, while others said they had difficulty finding school places for their children.
Committee chairman Tan Dhesi said the report finds that the covenant is 'inconsistently implemented'.
He said: '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.
'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.'
He urged the Government to provide guidance and direction so the private and public sector are clear on what their responsibilities are to service personnel and their families.
The Labour Party committed in its manifesto to putting the covenant 'fully into law'.
The Defence Committee called for the legal duty to give due regard to military service to be expanded to central governments and the devolved administrations.
It also pressed for policy development in Whitehall to take armed forces' needs into account.
The Local Government Association (LGA) said councils are committed to meeting veterans' needs and ensuring they have access to housing, health and community services.
But the LGA also stressed that councils need to be 'adequately funded' in the upcoming spending review to provide resources, especially if they take on further duties.
Helen Maguire, the Liberal Democrats' defence spokeswoman, urged the Government to follow through on its promise to back the Armed Forces Covenant.
The Lib Dem MP, who previously served in the Royal Military Police, said: 'Our military personnel put their lives on the line for our country. So it's utterly unacceptable that, by virtue of their sacrifice, they should find it harder to access healthcare and education.
'I know first hand how difficult it can be to battle the postcode lottery of public service provision for military personnel – and it can't be allowed to continue. The Government must now follow through on its promise at the election to strengthen the Covenant and fully back our armed forces.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNN
28 minutes ago
- CNN
Fear grips Iranians with some fleeing the capital as conflict with Israel escalates
Fear has been gripping Iranians as Israel vows to continue attacking the Islamic Republic over its nuclear program, with many fleeing the bigger cities, including the capital Tehran, in search of safer areas. A resident of Saadat Abad, a wealthy neighborhood in north Tehran which has been hit in Israel's strikes, told CNN they heard explosions all night, some so powerful that it shook their entire apartment building. Like other people in Iran who spoke with CNN, the resident asked to remain anonymous out of concern for their safety. There was chaos as residents ran down to the ground level after smelling smoke from a nearby building that had also been targeted, the resident said. Families with young children struggled to keep them calm. Unlike Israel, Iran's capital Tehran doesn't have modern bomb shelters, so the city must make use of tunnels, basements or older shelters used in the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s – the last time the country faced such a grave national emergency. 'In Tehran there weren't any shelters, people went into basements,' the chairman of Tehran's City Council, Mehdi Chamran, told reporters Sunday, adding that the metro can be used as a shelter 'in extreme crisis' but that 'we would need to shut the system down.' The metro in Tehran will be open 24 hours a day starting Sunday night for people to shelter, a government spokesperson announced. Schools and mosques will also be open, she said. Older people in the building in Saadat Abad were comparing the fear-filled atmosphere to the eight-year-long war with Iraq, which saw Iraqi armed forces invading western Iran along the countries' joint border, the resident said. Iranian experts have said that by attacking residential areas in Iran, Israel has 'crossed the Rubicon' – or passed the point of no return – and is inviting attacks of the same kind from Tehran. 'We don't support the Iranian regime, but we are against Israel attacking residential areas and civilians,' said an older male Tehran resident. 'If Israel is against Iran's nuclear program and military capabilities, they should target those areas and not create another situation like what is happening in Gaza.' Israel has destroyed swathes of the Palestinian territory and displaced almost all of Gaza's population in its war against Hamas, an Iranian ally. For those still in Tehran, daily life carries on for now despite fears of a widening war. Shelves in grocery stores are stocked and previously arranged gatherings go ahead, but the drumbeat of conflict is never too far off. For those with cars, there are long lines to buy gas and purchases are capped at 25 liters, residents told CNN. Cashpoints are working but at some the amount of cash that can be withdrawn has been limited. Many of those quitting the capital are heading towards the north, near the Caspian Sea, an area which is more rural and isolated. But residents told CNN that the roads are so gridlocked it is difficult to move. One family, who didn't want to be named, decided to leave Tehran with their two small children and their elderly parents. They are worried that the government has housed officials and military leaders within highly populated, upper middle-class neighborhoods – putting civilians at risk. 'I don't want to leave my home, but I am not going to put my young children in this position,' the father said. 'I hope that the US steps in to stop the attacks between both countries.' In the city of Shiraz, in south-central Iran, long lines for gas have been forming around the city. Residents are also stocking up on food, water, and diapers. Cars full of families with suitcases and water strapped to the roof have been seen around the city, with many families leaving for the countryside. Meanwhile, nights have become very quiet in Tehran, residents said. Many shops are closed and many people have either left the city or are too scared to go to work, they said. Israel's operation against Iran is expected to take 'weeks, not days' and is moving forward with implicit US approval, according to White House and Israeli officials. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to 'strike every site and every target of the Ayatollah's regime,' referring to the country's Supreme Leader. The Israeli military on Sunday also issued an 'urgent' evacuation warning to Iranians living near weapons production facilities, saying being nearby would endanger their lives. In a rare direct address to the people of Iran, Netanyahu on Friday urged its citizens to 'stand up and let your voices be heard,' after Israel unleashed deadly strikes on its regional foe. 'The time has come for the Iranian people to unite around its flag and its historic legacy, by standing up for your freedom from an evil and oppressive regime,' Netanyahu said in a statement. The Iranian regime remains unpopular at home, where security forces continue their brutal crackdown on dissidents. Nonetheless, the Israeli leader's call fell on deaf ears. Many of those with whom CNN spoke did not want to be quoted, even anonymously, but none expressed any support for Netanyahu's calls for a revolt. 'Israel is underestimating our love for our country; the idea that bombing us, our homes, killing our children, would send us to the streets is shocking. We want to live peacefully whether we like the regime or not,' a 36-year-old man who wished to remain anonymous told CNN. Some Iranians expressed anger and asserted they would never cede to Netanyahu's demands. 'Do I wish the regime wasn't in power? Absolutely. Do I want my city bombed by another dictator? Absolutely not,' Neda, a 28-year-old woman, told CNN. 'Don't let the fake news fool you, the reality of what is happening in Iran as an Iranian who has actually lived in Iran, who has their family in Iran, (is that) Israel is in no way helping our people. I don't need fake news and propaganda speeches,' she added. Iran has threatened to intensify its own retaliatory attacks if Israel continues hostilities. Over 200 rocket launches from Iran were reported overnight into Sunday, the Israeli government said, and at least 13 people have been killed in Israel, including three children. Unofficial tallies published by Iran's state affiliated media said dozens in the country have been killed and injured in Israeli strikes. Iran's authorities have yet to declare a death toll.
Hamilton Spectator
an hour ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Canadian rescued following missile strikes in Tel Aviv, foreign affairs minister says
A staff member at the Canadian embassy in Tel Aviv has been rescued from a building following retaliatory missile strikes from Iran, Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand said in a post Saturday night. In the post acknowledging her conversation with Israeli foreign affairs minister Gideon Sa'ar, Anand thanked the firefighters who rescued the Canadian, along with others who are now 'safe and sound.' The exchange of missiles between Israeli and Iranian forces has prompted the Canadian Government to cancel all flights to and from Ben Gurion International Airport. 'Drones, missiles and other types of projectiles could get past air defense systems and reach their targets,' says a statement from Global Affairs Canada. 'Interceptions could produce military debris falling in various locations.' Drone footage showed damage from an Iranian strike Saturday on a neighborhood in Rishon Lezion, Israel. (AP Video / June 14, 2025) Anand urged Canadians in the region to immediately register with the Canadian Embassy to receive timely updates in a post to social media. The two countries traded more fire on Saturday morning as Iran launched retaliatory missile strikes on Israel, killing at least three people and wounding dozens. Israel's assault used warplanes, as well as drones smuggled into the country in advance, to assault key facilities and kill top generals and scientists. Iran's U.N. ambassador said 78 people were killed and more than 320 wounded in the attacks. The government also urged travellers to avoid Jordan unless it is absolutely necessary as the region battles falling debris from intercepted missiles. The government has already been telling Canadians to avoid all travel to Iran due to 'the volatile security situation, the regional threat of terrorism, the high risk of arbitrary detention and unpredictable enforcement of local laws,' according to a travel advisory. Prime Minister Mark Carney convened Canada's National Security Council on Friday 'to ensure that all necessary steps will be taken to protect our nationals and our diplomatic missions in the region,' he said in a post to social media. Anand added that peace talks between the United States and Iran are the 'best path to achieving a lasting and peaceful resolution,' though Iran's Foreign Ministry later called the nuclear talks with U.S. 'meaningless' after the Israeli strikes. Israel said the barrage was necessary before Iran got any closer to building an atomic weapon, although experts and the U.S. government have assessed that Tehran was not actively working on such a weapon before the strikes. This threw Iranian-American conversations over an atomic accord into disarray days before the two sides were set to meet Sunday. Both Israel and Iran said their attacks would continue, raising the prospect of another protracted Mideast conflict. With files from the Associated Press.
Washington Post
an hour ago
- Washington Post
French ex-president Sarkozy stripped of Legion of Honor medal over corruption scandal
PARIS — France's former President Nicolas Sarkozy has been stripped of his Legion of Honor medal after being convicted last year of corruption and influence peddling while he was the country's head of state, it was announced on Sunday. The decision was made via a decree released in the Journal Officiel that publishes the government's major legal information. It comes in line with the rules of the Legion of Honor.
