About the service

DMWS provide independent and confidential welfare support for Armed Forces veterans and their families/carers in Northern Ireland. We offer:

  • A confidential and person-centred service for veterans and their families.
  • Emotional and practical support.
  • Access to physical and mental health clinicians.
  • Signposting and supported referrals to veteran-friendly agencies.

Our service is built on considerable experience of operating in Northern Ireland and through collaboration with other key partners . This ensures that the service operates with respect to and in line with the political and security context of Northern Ireland. Key collaborations include:

This service ensures that veterans:

  • Receive consultations that they need with a clinician.
  • Provide support and guidance to manage acute and chronic conditions.
  • Link to appropriate specialist services as they become available and advocate for your needs if required.
  • Provide an up-to-date detailed account of the physical and or mental health condition you are experiencing, reducing the need for you to re-tell your story.
  • Receive available resources as quickly as possible for serious cases.
  • Provide an ongoing support service to help maintain good self-management with complex clinical conditions.
  • Can ‘wait well’ while waiting for onward referral or treatment.

Please note, the service does not:

  • Provide a second opinion.
  • Prescribe drug treatments or provide advice on drug treatment regimens.
  • Deal with issues where emergency response is required.

How to get support

You can self refer to this service.

If you are in crisis or need out of hours support please call 999 or the Samaritans at 116 123.

Learn more

Listen to one of our Welfare Officers talk to BFBS about our Welfare Service in Northern Ireland.