We are delighted to share the news on Armed Forces Day that NHS providers in Hampshire and Isle of Wight have been accredited as exemplars of the best care for veterans, helping to drive improvements in NHS care for people who serve or have served in the UK Armed Forces and their families.
NHS Trusts part of the Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance (VCHA), volunteer to drive improvements in veteran care in line with the Armed Forces Covenant.
The Armed Forces Covenant is enshrined in law through the Armed Forces Act and is a promise by the nation to ensure that those who serve, or who have served, in the Armed forces, and their families, are treated fairly and don’t face disadvantage when accessing NHS services.
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.
Dr Lara Alloway, Interim Chief Medical Officer for Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board, said: “I’m delighted to see we are leading the way in veteran care for the Armed Forces community and their families in Hampshire and Isle of Wight. There are fantastic examples of health and care staff going above and beyond to support our armed forces community across the Integrated Care System and I’m incredibly proud.”
Ellis Banfield, Associate Director of Patient Experience for University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are committed to providing focused support to veterans and current serving personnel.
“Since joining the wider network of hospitals across the country who have attained this accreditation, we have been delivering training to staff across clinical areas so they can become veteran champions.
“The help that can be arranged for current and former members of the Armed Forces, and their families, is vast. It is vital they know how they can access that support, as it can have a hugely positive impact on an individual’s experience of their care.”
Alex Whitfield, Chief Executive at Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “With a number of military bases located across Hampshire, we are incredibly proud to be accredited with Veteran Aware status here at Hampshire Hospitals. Many of our colleagues have personal connections with the military and we are committed to ensuring our local veterans are fully supported when in hospital as patients. I’m delighted that the accreditation really demonstrates the commitment shown by colleagues across the Trust. It is a great achievement.”
Steve Parker, the Isle of Wight NHS Trust Medical Director, said: “We were extremely proud to have joined colleagues across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, in achieving the Veteran Aware Accreditation. The accreditation demonstrates our commitment to provide high quality care and support to our veteran community, and we are excited about the next steps to further strengthen our services, including achieving the Silver Award for the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme.”
John Black, a British Army Veteran, Chief Medical Officer and Armed Forces Champion at South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are incredibly proud to be a ‘Veteran Aware Trust’, supporting veterans, reservists, members of the Armed Forces and their families. The accreditation reinforces the key working relationships that SCAS has with the armed forces as both colleagues and service users.
“We are immensely proud to have a number of staff who are linked to the armed forces working across many different areas within the Trust including: frontline operational roles, corporate functions, patient transport service, our 111 + 999 call centres and within our volunteering teams too.”
Kerry Salmon, Deputy Chief People Officer at Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, said: “At Southern Health, we’re proud to have achieved this accreditation - recognising our support for serving personnel, reservists, veterans and their families. We are committed to improving the care we provide to the Armed Forces community and we are committed to being a welcoming, inclusive employer for veterans and military families.”
Keith Malcolm, Armed Forces Covenant lead nurse, said, “At Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust we are proud of the work we are doing to support our veterans and their families, as well as raising awareness about the benefits of being veteran aware with other organisations. Being able to do this in Portsmouth, home of the Royal Navy, where so many people living and working in the city have military links, is very special and means we can have real impact. As time has progressed, we’ve been able to improve how well we ask about and record information relating to a patient’s military status, which means we are better placed to offer them the support and care they deserve.”
Across Hampshire and Isle of Wight all NHS Trusts have received veteran aware accreditation. This includes:
- Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Isle of Wight NHS Trust
- Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust
- Solent NHS Trust
- South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust
- Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust
- University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust
Patients who serve or have served in the Armed Forces and their families are asked to let a member of staff know when attending hospital so that the team can best support their care needs. By recording a patient as a veteran in their health care record, trained healthcare staff will help to ensure they are able to access specific veteran's health services.