WINNER
East Sussex Healthcare Trust
Veteran Aware and Armed Forces Initiative

Partnered by

DHSC small (3)

MOD small (2)

In September 2023, East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust began its journey to achieve Veteran Aware accreditation. The trust has committed to honouring the Armed Forces Covenant by appointing dedicated champions and establishing a steering group to oversee the programme.

The initiative has delivered several key achievements, including comprehensive staff training, the creation of feedback mechanisms, partnerships with military charities, and the integration of veteran identification processes into patient care pathways.

East Sussex Healthcare has secured Bronze and Silver awards under the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme and has undertaken extensive awareness-raising activities. The trust continues to focus on improving services and ensuring inclusive care for members of the Armed Forces community across all its operations.

Read a detailed case study about this project at HSJ Solutions.

Highly commended

Lancashire and South Cumbria FT: Healthier Heroes CIC and Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Trust Veterans Service: Armed Forces Veterans in Crisis Support Partnership Project

Finalists

County Durham and Darlington FT: Supporting Veterans to Access Cancer Information

Female Veterans Transformation Programme (WRAC Association): Female Veterans Transformation Programme (FVTP)

George Eliot Hospital Trust: George Eliot Armed Forces Community Staff Network

Physician Response Unit and Royal Navy: Level 5 Pre-Hospital Practitioner Development Project

The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust: Armed Forces Improvement Programme

Wiltshire Council Public Health, Armed Forces, BSW ICB, NHS, Healthwatch: The Health Needs and Experiences of Military Families in Wiltshire: A Collaborative Approach 

214 Multi-role Medical Regiment: Exercise Serpent Exchange 

Topics

Winners of HSJ Awards 2025 revealed