NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight has signed the Armed Forces Covenant, pledging to support all those who serve or have served in the armed forces, and their families, and ensuring they are treated fairly.
Hampshire and the Isle of Wight has a proud history of supporting the armed forces and the area has the highest number of veterans, armed forces personnel and their families in England.
Remembrance Day is a timely reminder that the health and care needs of our armed forces, veterans and their families need to be recognised in their own right. The barriers to access services are greater than many other parts of the population, due to an often greater and more complex range of physical and mental health conditions, and the disruption in treatment that can be caused by frequent relocations.
All of the NHS Trusts in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight have already received ‘Veteran Friendly’ accreditation which means they have armed forces and veterans leads, as do many of the local GP practices. This mark of distinction means that those patients will be cared for by frontline staff who have received training and education on their specific needs, such as around mental health, and who can signpost them to relevant local support services. Trained staff will also provide leaflets and posters to veterans and their families explaining what to expect.
Maggie MacIsaac, Chief Executive, NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight said: “By signing the Covenant, we are building on the work we have done to date to remove the disadvantages members of the Armed Forces can face when seeking NHS care and treatment. We are committing ourselves to providing greater clarity to those who serve or have served in the armed forces, and their families, about the services they use.”
Lena Samuels, Chair, NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight said: “On Remembrance Day it is important to recognise the sacrifice that members of the armed forces and their families make and what we can do in return to ensure their health care needs are recognised and they can access the treatment and services they need in a fair way.”
Maggie MacIsaac, Chief Executive and Lena Samuels, Chair of NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight signed the Armed Forces Covenant on Wednesday 6 November, at the NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight public board meeting.
The duties set out for healthcare organisations signing the covenant are covered in the statutory guidance on the Armed Forces Covenant Duty, published in November 2022 and issued under the Armed Forces Act 2006.
NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board is responsible for commissioning services for veterans and families in their population as part of the Armed Forces Act 2022. The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care System also works in partnership to deliver the goals and ambitions of the Healthcare for the Armed Forces community forward view the companion document to the NHS Long Term Plan.