Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has unveiled a plaque at its head office at Tatchbury Mount in Calmore, marking its Veteran Aware accreditation by the Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance (VCHA).
The unveiling ceremony took place at the organisation’s Sterne 7 building, with members of the Trust Board in attendance, including Chair, Neil Hayward, and Chief Executive, Ron Shields.
The plaque is a visible symbol of the Trust’s commitment to the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Armed Forces community and its pledge to deliver care that understands and respects the unique needs of veterans, serving personnel, and their families.
Speaking at the event, Andy Spencer, Trust Lead for the Armed Forces programme, said: “Becoming Veteran Aware wasn’t a tick-box exercise. We had to demonstrate real, measurable commitment, including training staff to understand military culture and service-related health needs, ensuring clear and straightforward referral pathways for those who need them, and continuing to promote our role as a Forces-friendly employer. This plaque represents our enduring promise to deliver outstanding care that recognises the strengths and experiences of those who serve.”
The Trust joins a growing number of NHS organisations across England recognised for their support of the Armed Forces community. Accreditation is overseen by the Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance (VCHA), which aims to ensure that patients from the Armed Forces community are not disadvantaged when accessing healthcare.
Professor Tim Briggs CBE, Chair of the VCHA, said: “More and more NHS trusts are seeing the value of Veteran Aware accreditation. We have only four NHS trusts across England left to accredit, which is a testament both to the dedication of the VCHA 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.”
The Trust serves one of the largest Armed Forces communities in the UK, with an estimated 175,000 people, or nearly 9% of the local population, connected to military service. This includes serving personnel, reservists, veterans, and their families across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
The Trust’s Armed Forces programme includes a dedicated Armed Forces Lead and a flourishing Armed Forces Family Network of over 150 staff. The Trust’s accreditation follows a long-standing programme of work to improve services for the Armed Forces community, both as a healthcare provider and as an employer.
This includes:
• Identifying veterans on patient records
• Training staff to understand military culture and service-related health needs
• Ensuring clear referral pathways to specialist services and charities
• Promoting its role as a Forces-friendly employer
• Listening to and acting on feedback from the Armed Forces community
Andy Spencer added: “This plaque unveiling isn’t the end, it’s a milestone. We will continue to build on this foundation: listening, learning, and improving. We’re proud to stand with other Veteran Aware NHS Trusts across the country and proud to stand by our Armed Forces community.”
Visited our dedicated Armed Forces webpage.