Veterans

University Hospitals of Derby and Burton is one of many NHS organisations from across the UK signed up to the Armed Forces Covenant and has received accreditation awarded by the Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance (VCHA).

We are a member of the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) and have proudly been awarded the Gold Employer Recognition Scheme Status (highest achievable award).

Armed Forces Covenant

We are committed to working with the Armed Forces community to help serve members and veterans. The Trust has a very positive, long-standing relationship with the Ministry of Defence and several colleagues are reservists or veterans. 

In June 2021, the Trust was honoured to sign the Armed Forces Covenant.


The two main principles are that:

  • The Armed Forces community should not face disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public and commercial services in the area where they live.

  • Special consideration is appropriate in some cases, especially for those who have given most such as the injured and the bereaved.

Defence Employer Recognition Scheme

The Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) encourages employers to support defence and inspire others to do the same. The scheme encompasses bronze, silver and gold awards for employer organisations that pledge, demonstrate or advocate support to defence and the armed forces community, and align their values with the Armed Forces Covenant.

Several colleagues across the Trust are active members of the armed forces, reservists, forces family members, adult cadet force leaders or armed forces veterans. The NHS and our Trust recognises the transferable skills and cultural values that the Armed Forces community develop during their time in the Armed Forces environment and how they are compatible with those required within NHS roles.

UHDB has signed up to the 'Step into Health' national programme, designed to help all ex-Armed Forces personnel, veterans and their spouse/partner to join the NHS. We are a member of the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) and proudly hold the highest achievable award (Gold).


As a Gold award holder, the Trust has undertaken the following commitments:

  • Proactively demonstrate their forces-friendly credentials as part of their recruiting and selection processes. Where possible, they should be engaged with Career Transition Partnership (CPT) (opens in new window) > in the recruitment of service leavers and have registered for the Forces Families Jobs (FFJ) (opens in new window) > portal.

  • Actively ensure that their workforce is aware of their positive policies towards defence people issues. For example, an employer nominated for support to the reserves must have an internally publicised and positive human resources policy on reserves.

  • Be an exemplar within their market sector, advocating support to defence people issues to partner organisations, suppliers and customers with tangible positive results.

  • In the context of reserves, the employer must have demonstrated support to mobilisations or have a framework in place. They must provide at least ten days of additional leave for training, fully paid, to the reservist employee.

  • Actively encourage a positive environment for reservists by ensuring that positive policies in support of reservists within the workforce are communicated to line managers.

Veterans

Supporting veteran patients

Being identified as a veteran in your NHS medical notes will allow you to specific veterans' health services, such as those for mental health, hearing loss, limb amputation and wheelchairs. Please ensure that you are also registered as a veteran with your GP.

All veterans are entitled to priority access to NHS care for service-related conditions. However, this is always subject to clinical need and does not mean that you will automatically be treated ahead of others who have a more urgent clinical need.

Please let a member of staff know if you, or your spouse/partner, have ever served in the UK Armed Forces, so we can best support your care needs.


Guaranteed Interview Scheme for veterans

To further support the pledges in the Armed Forces Covenant and to make a positive contribution to support ex-armed forces personnel (veterans) make the transition to civilian life, the Trust has introduced a Guaranteed Interview Scheme for veterans, to help them overcome barriers to find civilian employment.

For more information, please visit the Armed Forces and Disability Confident guaranteed interview scheme page >


Veteran support organisations

Veteran Covenant Healthcare Alliance (VCHA)

NHS Veteran Aware is an accreditation programme designed to support NHS Trusts in understanding and meeting the needs of the Armed Forces community. The accreditation is administered by the Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance (VCHA), an NHS England funded programme of work hosted by the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust.

Veteran Aware accreditation seeks to deliver:

  • better health and wellbeing for the whole of the Armed Forces community
  • a more joined-up experience of care for serving personnel and their families as they move around the country and transition from service to civilian life
  • fast and local access to high quality, personalised care for the Armed Forces community

Veteran Aware accreditation supports NHS and other healthcare organisations to meet the commitments of Armed Forces Act 2021. The Armed Forces Act brought the Armed Forces Covenant into law and states that members of the Armed Forces Community should not be disadvantaged when accessing or receiving healthcare.

Reservists and Cadets

For information about Armed forces reserves and the benefits of becoming one, access the GOV.UK website for a quick guide about armed forces reserves (opens in new window) >

The Trust has a dedicated Trust Policy for reserves and cadet forces training and mobilisation which supports members of the reserve and cadet forces with a commitment to train regularly and/or a liability to be mobilised.


East Midlands Reserve Forces and Cadets Association

Access East Midlands Reserve Forces and Cadets Association website (opens in new window) >


Cadet Forces

For more information about our local Cadets, please visit the website below: