Armed Forces Support

The Armed Forces Covenant and Defence Employer Recognition Scheme both reflect our commitment to the wider armed forces agenda and indicate our pledge that those who serve, have served and their families, are treated fairly.

We are currently looking at ways in which we can encourage staff to become reservists and cadet leaders and how we can better support those who are currently reservists, cadet leaders, service leaders/veterans and families whilst working with us. To aid this, we have a HR Armed Forces Champion, Nicole Dixon and we are in the process of developing an Armed Forces action plan.

 

 

 

 

NUH is grateful for your service, and wants to make it as easy as possible for you to work here even as you continue to serve in the armed forces. We have a long history, and proud to support our staff who volunteer their spare time and join or wish to join the Armed Forces as a Reservist or as a Cadet Forces Adult Volunteer.

Reserves play an essential role in our Armed Forces. Through their dedication and professionalism, they make a vital contribution to protecting the nation’s security at home and overseas. Cadet Leaders do an incredible amount of work with the young people in our communities to develop life and leadership skills. Reservists and Cadet Leaders give up their spare time to the Forces whilst balancing their personal and professional lives.

To thank Reservists across the Nottinghamshire Trusts for their commitment, NUH organise and host an annual Reserves Dinner for Reservists from NUH, Nottinghamshire Healthcare, Sherwood Forrest and East Midlands Ambulance Service. This has unfortunately been put on hold due to the pandemic, but we look forward to putting this dinner on again in the future.

We have a dedicated Reserve Forces Training and Mobilisation policy which ensures that staff members who are current members or wish to join the Reserve Forces of Cadet Forces Adult Volunteers are not disadvantaged whilst at work. We have committed to granting additional paid leave of up to10 days to Reservists and Cadet Leaders to enable them to attend their training (usually used for annual camps). We are the first NHS Trust in Nottinghamshire to extend this paid leave provision to Cadet Leaders in recognition of their work as part of the Reserve Forces and Cadet Association. We also encourage all line managers to be supportive of their team members with regard to leave and shift management wherever practical. This policy also includes information for Reservists and their managers about mobilisation, support, and includes template documents should a Reservist be mobilised.

As part of our commitment, to the Armed Forces, it is important for us to continue to develop our database of NUH staff who are part of the Armed Forces Family, in particular those who are Reservists or Cadet Leaders. Please inform the HR Armed Forces Champion if you are a member of the forces family.

For further information about becoming a Reservist, please click here.

Here at NUH we are currently developing our offer to serving members of the Armed Forces, service leavers and veterans and families who for whatever reason become a patient within our hospitals. Please make sure you let us know if you are serving or have ever served in the armed forces. We will put you in touch with the organisations best placed to help with information, advice and support.

Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance

The Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance (VCHA) is a group of over 60 NHS acute trusts, which have volunteered to be exemplars of best care for and support to the armed forces community. NUH has become the first NHS Trust in Nottinghamshire to become VCHA accredited. NUH are committed to develop, share and drive the implementation of best practice that will improve armed forces veterans’ healthcare, in line with the commitments set out in the Armed Forces Covenant.

Veterans are a key component of the wider armed forces community and include anyone who has served at least one day in the UK Armed Forces either as a regular or reserve and includes those who served with National Service. Many veterans do not recognise their veteran status may be relevant to their health and specific needs may be overlooked. The veterans’ community covers a very wide age range and health care needs may therefore differ widely.

The Trust have a ‘VCHA Champion dyad’ consisting of Tracey Keane, Senior Management Champion, Amanda Morledge, Clinical Champion and Nicole Dixon, HR Champion who lead & support NUH as a VCHA accredited Trust to support the delivery of the highest quality of care to our veterans and their families.

Here at NUH we are currently developing our offer to serving members of the Armed Forces, service leavers and veterans and families who for whatever reason become a patient within our hospitals. Please make sure you let us know if you are serving or have ever served in the armed forces. We will put you in touch with the organisations best placed to help with information, advice and support.

Defence Medical Welfare Service

We are fortunate to have Welfare Officers from the Defence Medical Welfare Service (DMWS) based at our hospitals. DMWS are a charitable organisation that specialise in comprehensive and confidential emotional and practical support to The Armed Forces, Veterans, NHS Staff, Emergency Services, The Merchant Navy & their immediate family when they are receiving medical treatment in hospital. They work with patients when their medical needs are being met but when other issues, problems or social influences may be distracting them from their recovery. Their support is person centred, tailored to the individual and they will arrange to speak to the patient and support NUH clinical staff to help identify services and support, and enable referrals to a range of military and non-military organisations. DMWS can be contacted by telephone on: 0800 999 3697.

Veterans Gateway

In addition to DMWS, the Veterans Gateway is also available to provide information, advice and support for veterans and their families. They are a point of contact for veterans seeking support. They put veterans and their families in touch with the organisations best placed to help with the information, advice and support they need – from healthcare and housing to employability, finances, personal relationships and more.

The Veterans Gateway can be contacted by telephone on:  0808 802 1212, or by texting: 81212 

Other useful local support groups include:

• Forest Forces - (reducing social isolation through events & regular activities ranging from walking football, coffee mornings to day trips) Email: community@nottinghamforest.co.uk
• Forces Friends (Age UK and RBL supporting 60yrs + veterans and dependents, trained visitors reducing loneliness Tel: 0115 844 0011 or Mobile: 07872 839605

                                  

In supporting the Armed Forces agenda, we do not work alone. We are proud of the relationships with have built with the East Midlands Reserve Forces and Cadet Association, Nottinghamshire Healthcare, NHS Employers and The Defence and National Rehabilitation Centre.  In addition, we advocate support to defence people issues to partner organisations regionally and nationally.

 

What can you do to learn more about Veterans and Reservists?

Health Education England’s online eLearning platform (eLearning for Health) is a high quality provider of online learning free of charge for the NHS workforce across the UK. This includes an eLearning programme called ‘NHS Healthcare for the Armed Forces’ designed to highlight both the similarities and the differences to allow healthcare staff to understand both the context of military life and also how to appropriately respond to patient need. The programme is broken into three broad areas – the NHS care of current serving personnel; the NHS care of families of military personnel and Veterans; and finally Veterans themselves. http://www.e-lfh.org.uk/programmes/nhshealthcare-for-the-armed-forces/