We now have a Veterans Aware plaque in our main reception area at Kettering General Hospital.
Earlier this year, the Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance (VCHA) accredited KGH as a Veterans Aware organisation.
The event, was attended by the Mayor of Kettering, Cllr Craig Skinner, alongside Paula Kirkpatrick, Chief People Officer University Hospitals of Northamptonshire (UHN).
Anna Ferreira-Gomes is the Welfare Officer for the Defence Medical Welfare Service who works across UHN. She said:
“There are around 25,000 Veterans across Northamptonshire. The work at Kettering General Hospital around the armed forces community will help to identify these patients and help them get the support they need.
UHN are working together with some of those armed forces charities in signposting veterans and their families”.
This accreditation has been given in recognition of the work Kettering General Hospital has undertaken to demonstrate its commitment to the principles of the Armed Forces Covenant. Plus, supporting current and former armed forces patients and colleagues to ensure the hospital meets the care standards laid out by the NHS.
Cllr Craig Skinner who attended the event said:
“The Veterans Aware Accreditation is an excellent initiative that is helping to raise awareness of the unique needs of our armed forces community. As an ex-serviceman myself I understand all too well the difficulties faced by veterans when leaving the military.
In the military you have all of your health needs taken care of in one place and reviewed on a regular basis. Once you leave the bubble of the military it can be hard to know where to go or what services are available”
The event was hosted on the same day as our monthly Veterans Breakfast club, to ensure some of our local veterans could also attend and celebrate. The club has been running since July and offers the chance for attendees to speak to other veterans and offers signposting to further support.
Also joining the event were representatives from mental health charity Kettering MIND, and the Armed Forces charity SSAFA.
Cllr Craig Skinner added: “I believe that KGH is leading the way within the local community and hope that other businesses and health organisations see the good work that is being done and follow suit.”
The Veterans Aware accreditation plaque can be seen in the hospital’s main reception.
You can find out more about how we support the local armed forces community on our website.
