Trust receives Veteran Aware accreditation

Medway NHS Foundation Trust has been accredited as Veteran Aware, formally recognising our commitment to the armed forces community.

The accreditation was carried out by the Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance (VCHA), a national NHS team and means 147 NHS providers across England are now Veteran Aware accredited.

The VCHA’s aim is to make sure patients from the armed forces community are not disadvantaged in terms of access to and outcomes of healthcare, as a result of their military life in line with the principles of the Armed Forces Covenant.

It does this by developing, sharing and driving the implementation of best practice, while at the same time raising standards for everyone.

Jayne Black, Chief Executive, Medway NHS Foundation Trust said: “I’m delighted the Trust has been successfully accredited as Veteran Aware.

“The accreditation recognises our hard work in demonstrating the Trust’s commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant and as an exemplar of the best standards of care for the armed forces community.”

The Armed Forces Covenant is a promise by the nation ensuring that those who serve, or who have served, in the armed forces, and their families, are treated fairly.

In 2019 the Trust was awarded an Employers Recognition Scheme (ERS) ‘Silver Award’. Our Armed Forces Staff Network was also set up, recognising the additional challenges faced by armed forces personnel now working in civilian settings and the additional skills and perspectives they bring to the workplace.

VCHA Regional Lead Bernadette Knight said: “I am delighted with the work done by Medway NHS Foundation Trust in achieving this accreditation award. While there is more to do, I can see through the work I’ve done with the Trust that it is thoroughly committed to being Veteran Aware and in building this into its wider Trust business.”

VCHA Chairman, Prof Tim Briggs CBE, said: “More and more Trusts are seeing the value of Veteran Aware accreditations as seen through the numbers of Trusts that are now accredited. We now stand at 66 per cent of NHS Trusts across England, which is a testament both to the dedication of my team and to the wider NHS family who work tirelessly on behalf of the military community despite the many pressures they will be under. Well done all.”