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Monday 20 June 2022

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust has been formally recognised as ‘Veteran Aware’ by the Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance (VCHA) in a fitting start to Armed Forces Awareness Week (Monday 20 June to Friday 25 June).

The Trust celebrated the achievement and marked the start of Armed Forces Awareness Week with a flag raising ceremony and minute’s silence for staff, patients and visitors at Worcestershire Royal Hospital today (Monday 20 June), accompanied by a Salvation Army bugler.

The VCHA is a group of NHS healthcare providers in England committed to providing the best standards of care for the Armed Forces community, based on the principles of the Armed Forces Covenant.

The Armed Forces Covenant – which recently passed into law – 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. The aim is to develop, share and drive the implementation of best practice that will improve armed forces veterans’ care, while at the same time raising standards for everyone across the NHS.

Dr Christine Blanshard, Chief Medical Officer at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust and Chair of the Trust’s Armed Forces Strategy Group, said: “We are delighted to have been awarded Veteran Aware status which recognises our commitment to improving the care for our armed forces veterans and their families. The Trust is also part of the Armed Forces Employer Recognition Scheme, and last year received the Bronze Award, reflecting our support for those who serve. We are currently working towards our Silver Award. Our staff include many reservists, armed forces leavers and military families, and we are grateful for the skills that these experiences bring to the Trust, helping us to deliver our purpose to put patients first.”

The Trust also signed the Armed Forces Covenant in 2020 setting out its commitment and support to members of the Armed Forces Community who work in the organisation or access services.

VCHA Regional Lead David Wood said: “Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust have demonstrated clearly their achievement of each of the eight manifesto standards and that has been recognised and approved by the National Steering Group and they now join 118 other Trusts in the region and nationally already accredited as Veteran Aware.”

The Veteran Covenant Healthcare Alliance (VCHA) is committed to improving Armed Forces and Veteran care whilst raising standards for all. 118 NHS providers in England are now Veteran Aware accredited, two have been re-accredited, and the VCHA aims to have all Trusts in England accredited by March 2023 at the latest.

Notes to editors:

The Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance (VCHA) is a group of NHS providers in England – including acute, mental health, community, and ambulance Trusts – committed to becoming exemplars of the best care for, and support to, the armed forces community (be they Regular, Reserves, Veterans, spouses or dependants).  It is funded by the Armed Forces Commissioning Directorate within NHS England.

The VCHA is committed to improving Armed Forces and Veteran care whilst raising standards for all.

The VCHA signposts Trusts to Armed Forces charities, who provide resources for veterans.  When utilised,​ these services enhance the recovery pathways for veterans in NHS Trusts. The VCHA will help deliver NHS England and NHS Improvement’s objectives to highlight inefficiencies and reduce unwarranted clinical variation in quality of care.

The NHS is committed to the Armed Forces Covenant, which is a promise to those who serve, or who have served in the UK Armed Forces, and their families, are treated fairly.

The Armed Forces Covenant has two key principles:

1. No member of the Armed Forces community should face disadvantage in the provision of public and commercial services compared to any other citizen.

2. In some circumstances special consideration may be appropriate, especially for the injured or the bereaved.

The Armed Forces Bill received Royal Assent in December 2021, and the Armed Forces Covenant is now law.

The VCHA is hosted by the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital and is partnered with NHS England and Improvement’s Armed Forces Commissioning.

The National Lead for the VCHA, Professor Tim Briggs, CBE, is also National Director for Clinical Improvements for the NHS. He is the author of The Chavasse Report that led to the formation of the VCHA.

The devolved nations/assemblies are responsible for their own Trusts.

There were an estimated 2.4 million military veterans in Great Britain in 2017, between 3 – 9% of the population (depending on the area). Details may be found here 

Just over 40% of veterans report at least one long term health condition, with the most prevalent of which are musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, respiratory and mental health conditions.

Veteran Aware Trusts also work with existing initiatives Step into Health (SiH) and the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) to make NHS organisations ‘Forces Friendly’ employers.