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Local NHS Trusts sign the
Armed Forces Covenant in support of local veterans, reservists and their
families
AHEAD of Armed forces day on Saturday
24 June, the Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospital NHS Trust and
Aintree University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust alongside Liverpool Clinical
Laboratories signed the Armed Forces Covenant (AFC) at the Royal Liverpool
University Hospital.
The covenant recognises those individuals who have performed Military duty
uniting the country and demonstrates their valuable contribution. By signing the
covenant, organisations will pledge support to those who have Military service
in a move towards becoming a Military friendly employer.
Liverpool has 1 of the greatest concentrations of ex-service personnel in the
country, and is the national host of Armed Forces Day 2017.
To witness the signing of the AFC, representatives from the armed forces
community including the army, navy and air force attended alongside veterans and
reservists currently working in the NHS.
Aidan Kehoe, chief executive of Royal
Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust said:- "It gives
us great pride to sign the Armed Forces Covenant alongside our colleagues from
Aintree and Liverpool Clinical Laboratories today.
Having previously received the bronze award from the Armed Forces Covenant
Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS), we hope signing the AFC further demonstrates
our commitment and support from UK employers to defence personnel and their
families. We currently employ both veterans and reservist Doctors and Nurses
throughout the Trust in a number of different specialities. We also provide
honorary contracts and work placement opportunities to Military personnel, and
in order to support their personal development and help their transition to
civilian life when they are planning to leave the services. We recognise the
benefits of employing veterans as they possess great qualities such as teamwork,
leadership, flexibility, dependability, integrity, loyalty, and have experience
of working in culturally diverse environments, and that by having them work
within our team at the Royal enhances the care we deliver to our patients. From
a clinical point of view, we regularly see the ex-Military personnel as
patients, returning to our services, especially through our Emergency
Department. To help reduce these repeat attendances, staff have undergone
training in collaboration with Liverpool Veterans Association to help them to be
able to recognise veterans and signpost them to various support agencies."
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Steve Warburton, chief executive of Aintree
University Hospital, added:- "Signing the Armed Forces Covenant today
builds on all of the support Aintree has already given to patients who are
veterans, and our staff who volunteer as reservists. Our ophthalmology team have
been recognised nationally for their pioneering work with veterans who have lost
their vision, while other services including our wheelchair and prosthetic limb
centre have received excellent feedback. We are proud to support our staff
reservists, who use the skills they have developed during their Military
training and overseas deployments to improve services back here at Aintree. For
example, some of our developments in the regional trauma centre have been
informed by lessons learned from our staff on deployment. Their time as
reservists is helping our patients back here in Liverpool."
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