Supporting the Armed Forces community

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is committed to Armed Forces friendly policy and practices in employment and the delivery of our health care services.

Hampshire and the Isle of Wight is home to one of the largest Armed Forces communities in the UK. The 'Armed Forces community' describes serving personnel in the Army, Navy, Royal Marines or Royal Air Force, including families, dependents, reservists, veterans and the bereaved. A 'veteran' is defined as anyone who has served in the Armed Forces for at least one day.

As a Trust we have a duty of due regard to ensure the Armed Forces community enjoys the same standard of, and access to healthcare as that received by any other UK citizen in the area they live, and do not experience disadvantage because of their time in service.

Contact

For any questions or any comments your wish to make about the Trust’s Armed Forces work please contact the Armed Forces Lead, Andy Spencer by email andrew.spencer@Solent.nhs.uk

This duty places responsibility on the Trust to embody the Armed Forces Covenant, a promise by the nation ensuring that those who serve or have served in the Armed Forces, and their families, are treated fairly.

To deliver this duty we must ensure our staff are aware of and respond to the needs of this community. We aim to achieve this through training, accreditations, participating in local and national forums and valuing our colleagues who are themselves part of this community and who bring their experiences to the Trust to help shape how we deliver healthcare.

The Trust understands, respects, and supports, the commitment and sacrifices that members of the armed forces community make to ensure the safety of this country, and we understand our moral duty to the community and our obligation to show due regard that no member of the community suffers disadvantage when accessing our services when compared to those not in the armed forces community.

As a Trust we understand the many and complex challenges that the armed forces community and their relatives can face, and we strive to deliver services and offer employment opportunities with understanding, sensitivity, and support.

Our legacy Trusts signed the Armed Forces Covenant and in 2025 we will sign a new Covenant pledge.

Our legacy Trusts were accredited as ‘Veteran Aware’, demonstrating our ongoing commitment to improving NHS care for veterans, reservists, members of the Armed Forces and their families. We will be seeking re-accreditation in 2025.

We have a dedicated Armed Forces Lead who is the single point of access for all enquiries, champions armed forces community issues across the organisation, and we collaborate with local and national organisations to ensure we continue to learn from best practice so that we can progress in our journey as an armed forces friendly Trust. (see contact details in the grey box),

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare is working towards the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme awards in recognition of our efforts in supporting and welcoming the armed forces community.

This includes ex-armed forces, reservists, and their families, into work in the NHS.

We offer a guaranteed interview to members of the armed forces community who use the armed forces identifier on NHS Jobs applications and meet the essential criteria for a role.

We are also increasing the visibility of our vacancies and employment offer through the armed forces specific recruitment websites.

We actively support mobilisation recognising the experiences it can bring back into the workplace.

We have a Reservist Policy to support training and deployment.

We have an active Armed Forces Family Network; a non-exclusive group open to all our employees and volunteers. It is a mix of armed forces veterans, reservists, cadet volunteers, those with a family member who once served or is still serving and those who have a general interest in the armed forces. The Network provides a space and opportunities for connection for all to come together as a support network for one another and to improve and embed support for the wider armed forces community within our workforce and looking for employment with Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare.

As part of our commitments and duty of due regard to the Armed Forces Covenant, we offer priority treatment to serving and former armed forces personnel where treatment relates to military service; this is based on clinical need.

We know that there will be circumstances where a civilian’s clinical need must take priority.

Please alert staff to your status as a serving forces member or military veteran so that this can be noted in your patient record.

We also ensure that armed forces families are not disadvantaged.

For example, when moving into the area and joining an existing service waiting list. Again, please alert staff so that information can be noted in your patient record. To find out more about the duty of due regard please read this guide from the Ministry of Defence.

We have an Armed Forces Lead who acts as a single point of contact service for the Armed Forces community to help individuals and families access NHS services without disadvantage (see contact details in the grey box)

You can find the details below for specific services for the armed forces community.

These include services for physical health and wellbeing, mental health, and health for homelessness.

Veterans Outreach Support

Veterans Outreach Support (VOS) supports veterans from the UK Armed Forces and Merchant Navy along with their spouses, partners and carers throughout Portsmouth, the Isle of Wight, Gosport, Fareham, and more widely, Hampshire and the south of England.

VOS provides access to welfare support, whether it be from PIP to housing and more, supports members via cognitive, behavioural, and emotional wellbeing therapies and treatments and organises activities, events, and social groups to promote camaraderie, community, and fun.

For more information go to Veterans Outreach Support | VOS

OpRESTORE

Formerly called the Veterans Trauma Network OpRESTORE.

The Veterans Physical Health and Wellbeing Service is a service for anyone who has served one day or more in the UK armed forces who has acquired a significant, lasting physical injury or illness because of their service.

OpRESTORE is accessible via GP referral, and through a network of civilian and military consultants and welfare support via military charities takes a holistic approach to restoring health and wellbeing. For more information go to NHS veterans service leavers non-mobilised reservists webpage: Veterans, service leavers, and non-mobilised reservists - NHS

OpCOURAGE

Op COURAGE is an NHS mental health specialist service designed to help serving personnel due to leave the military, reservists, armed forces veterans and their families. Regional contact details for the Southeast are as follows:
Email: gateway@berkshire.nhs.uk
Telephone: 0300 365 2000 (option 4)

Op FORTITUDE

Veterans across the UK will have access to Op FORTITUDE: Op FORTITUDE- Riverside Care and Support, a new dedicated referral pathway for homeless veterans, including those sleeping on the streets.

The hotline is part of a two-year £8.55 million programme to fulfil the Government’s pledge to end veteran rough sleeping.

The housing hotline, delivered by Riverside group, will give homeless veterans a single point of contact to get them the help they need.

Op FORTITUDE staff will refer callers to a network of support, including housing providers, charities, and local authorities.

Veterans who are homeless or at risk of homelessness and the organisations working with them are encouraged to contact the Op FORTITUDE hotline from Monday 3 July 2023 on 0800 952 0774 or through a secure web portal at riv.org.uk/opfortitude.

Further information can be found at: Veterans services - Riverside Group.

Operation Stirling

Age UK, in partnership with Fighting With Pride: The LGBT+ Military Charity, is delivering Operation Sterling: Supporting older LGBT+ veterans | Age UK – a programme to help older LGBT+ veterans, who were adversely affected by the ban on LGBT+ personnel serving in the Armed Forces.

Operation Sterling will provide telephone-based support, advice, and casework to older LGBT+ veterans through Age UK’s Advice Line, combining the expertise of Age UK together with the expert knowledge of Fighting With Pride. Operation Stirling will be able to help older LGBT+ veterans access financial support, housing options and social care.

LGBT+ veterans who served in the Armed Forces who would like to access Operation Sterling’s specialised support, can do so by visiting the Fighting With Pride website: Age UK-Veteran Support to start the referral process.

Here are some links to organisations and resources. You can follow the links or hover over the QR code with your smartphone camera.