Trust reinforces pledge to Armed Forces Covenant by unveiling Veteran Aware plaque

To mark Armed Forces day, Chief Executive Professor Phil Wood and Trust Board Chair Dame Linda Pollard gathered with active and reserve representatives of the Armed Forces to unveil a Veteran Aware plaque in the Bexley atrium at St James’s University Hospital.

It was a proud moment to be among Trust employees who are former service members of the Royal Army Medical Corp, the Royal Military Police, the Royal Air Force, the Royal Navy and the Royal Marines, as well as the current Clinical Director for the 144 Parachute Medical Squadron. Whether active or reserve, their service to the country and contributions to the Trust are admirable.

The Trust supports the Armed Forces and recognises these contributions through the Armed Forces Covenant. The plaque is a visual representation of the Covenant, a pledge made by the government, charities, organisations and businesses to provide the same treatment to members of the Armed Forces community as any other citizen.

We are committed to honouring the Armed Forces Covenant and the plaques promote that we are an accredited Veteran Aware Trust and an Armed Forces-friendly organisation. Plaques are displayed in Bexley wing at St James’s, in the Jubilee wing of LGI, and in the main foyers of Seacroft and Chapel Allerton hospitals.

The Covenant was first signed by the Trust in 2017 and was renewed in 2023. Earlier this year, we also achieved a Defence Employer Recognition Scheme?Gold award reflecting the Trust’s pledge to demonstrate and advocate support to defence and the Armed forces community.

Both patients and staff form the community to which the Covenant applies and includes members of the British Armed Forces, veterans, reservists, or family members of someone who is serving or who has served.

Benefits to service members and their families include tailored mental and physical health support, specialist healthcare support for those who are injured or bereaved and support for disabled veterans as well as signposting to Armed Forces community support services.

Support for staff includes having a dedicated Reservist Procedure and offering additional paid leave to Reservists, having Armed Forces Champions who help the Trust deliver the Covenant commitment, and marking Armed Forces Day which falls on June 29.

Our commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant also supports the Trust’s values of being patient centred, fair, empowered, collaborative and accountable. As one of our Armed Forces Champions pointed out, it’s not always obvious on the surface that a person is a service member or reservist and it’s always worth asking the question — have you or a member of your family served?

It's important for healthcare staff to understand the needs of service members and their families. They play an important role in our Trust and in the wider community.

[Pictured L to R - Tim Stansfield, Simon Britten, Chief Executive Phil Wood, Trust Chair Dame Linda Pollard, Jeff Gantschuk, Oliver Ng, Ben Grange, Dr Andrew Jackson, Martin Wood, Tim Levene, Mark Dunn]