Supporting our veterans
The Trust has been accredited as Veteran Aware meaning it will show greater awareness and support for the Armed Forces community in line with standards laid down by the Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance (VCHA).
The VCHA ensures member of the Armed Forces Community, including families and dependents, are paid due regard and not disadvantaged in terms of access to and outcomes of healthcare.
It does this by developing, sharing and driving the implementation of best practice, while raising standards for everyone in NHS Trusts across England. The NHS Long Term Plan has since expanded the programme to include Integrated Care Boards, hospices and the Independent Care Sector.
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.
This accreditation means that 153 NHS providers across England are now Veteran Aware and the alliance aims to have all trusts accredited by the end of the first quarter of 2024.
VCHA Regional Lead Anna-Marie Tipping said: “I am delighted with the excellence of the work carried out by London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust. The Trust has demonstrated its commitment to being Veteran Aware for both patients and staff and in building this into its wider Trust business to make sure that staff understand the needs of the Armed Forces Community.”
VCHA Chairman, Prof Tim Briggs CBE, added: “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 73% 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.”
Pippa Nightingale, LNWH CEO said: “We’re delighted to be awarded this accreditation as a Veteran Aware Trust. It’s a significant achievement and recognises our commitment and dedication to ensuring that members of the Armed Forces community are not disadvantaged in receiving healthcare and employment. We also support our veteran and armed forces reservist employees to ensure their health, wellbeing and training needs are met.”
The VCHA will be holding a national best practice conference at the Barbican in London on September 20, 2023 from 10am to 4pm. For more details, please go to our Eventbrite page on https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/veterans-covenant-healthcare-alliance-national-best-practice-conference-tickets-574481980067