A PROJECT aimed at improving health and social care support for people within the armed forces has been shortlisted for a national NHS award.

Dorset Armed Forces Community Health and Wellbeing Project, which is run by the county’s mental health NHS trust, Dorset HealthCare, works with former and current army, navy and air force personnel and their families and has been included on the NHS 70 Parliamentary Awards shortlist in the Excellence in Mental Health category.

More than 750 projects and people were put forward by MPs for the scheme’s 10 categories with one winner chosen for each of four regions in England – north, south, Midlands and east and London.

Dorset Armed Forces Community Health and Wellbeing Project was nominated by Bournemouth East MP Tobias Ellwood.

He said: “Everyone in Bournemouth is rightly proud of our local NHS and care services, and I’m delighted to be taking part in the NHS70 Parliamentary Awards as a way of thanking and recognising the people who work in or support those services.

"As well as getting behind our nominees for these awards, I hope local people will take the opportunity to mark the NHS’s 70th birthday in other ways, whether it’s by finding out more about its history, sharing their NHS memories and stories, getting involved in local events and tea parties, or being inspired to keep themselves well and use health services wisely."

Each of the regional winners will go forward to a national awards ceremony on July, the day before the NHS’ 70th birthday.