HEALTHCARE provision for veteran patients took a momentous leap forward as work on the UK’s first dedicated orthopaedic centre for Armed Forces veterans formally began on Monday with an official ground-breaking ceremony.

The £6 million pioneering facility is being built onsite at Gobowen's Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (RJAH), a world-renowned organisation based near Oswestry.

The hospital had initially launched a £1.5 million appeal back in October 2018 to build a more modest outpatient facility for veterans, but is now set to boast a bigger facility, thanks to the support of the Headley Court Charity.

Headley Court was the leading medical rehabilitation base for members of the Armed Forces before the transfer of those services to a new facility at Stanford Hall.

Following that move, Trustees of the Headley Court Charity, had been looking for worthy causes in keeping with their ethos and aims to support in the form of charitable grants from their reserves.

Air Vice Marshal Anthony J. Stables, chairman of the Headley Court Charity, performed the honours at the hospital, and admitted his delight at having the opportunity to be part of an exciting project.

He said: “The principle object of the Headley Court Charity, since inception in 1947, has been the medical rehabilitation of injured members of the Armed Forces.

“The charity has revised its objects to include the care of veterans and it thus fitting, given the link with Sir Robert Jones, who is widely regarded as the founding father of medical rehabilitation, that we should partner with RJAH to create this unique facility for our veterans.

“We are delighted that the facility will be named the Headley Court Veterans Orthopaedic Centre.”

The event was attended by Lieutenant Colonel Carl Meyer, a serving officer and a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon at RJAH, Frank Collins, RJAH chairman; and Mark Brandreth, RJAH chief executive, and a small number of local dignitaries and supporters of the project to mark this momentous occasion.

Also there was Michael Debens, one of the Trustees of the Headley Court Charity plus Stan Wilkinson and Don Somers from the Buglers Association of the Light Division and the Rifles who provided ceremonial fanfare, while a flag depicting the Veterans’ Orthopaedic Service logo, developed and designed by the Medical Illustration team, based at RJAH, was raised for the first time.

The Veterans’ Orthopaedic Service at RJAH was initially started in 2014 by Lt Col Meyer, who said: “The breaking of the ground to mark the start of the build of the Headley Court Veterans’ Orthopaedic Centre is a day I have long dreamt about, as this marks the beginning of a new era of bespoke care for our veteran patients and serving personnel.

“For a number of years now, we have talked about veterans being seen in an environment that brings comfort to them and by clinical teams that have an understanding of military personnel and their unique needs – and that is going to be the reality, which is just fantastic.

“These are individuals who have served their country and now need looking after in their time of need. There are very few professions where going to work places you at risk of dying or being severely injured, and I think that level of commitment and service should absolutely be recognised – and I feel proud that RJAH recognises this.

“Thanks must go to the Trustees of the Headley Court Charity for their amazingly generous grant and for believing in what we’re doing here, and ultimately supporting our long-term vision for world class veterans’ healthcare.”

The £6 million two-storey building will feature nine standard examination rooms. There will also be clinic rooms, which will also be utilised for Physiotherapy appointments.

It will also include a treatment and procedure room, an assessment room and a splinting and therapy room, as well as clinic space for virtual appointments.

Mr Collins said: “What a proud moment for us to cut the turf and officially get work underway on the country’s first dedicated orthopaedic centre for veterans and service personnel."

Mr Brandreth added: “This milestone has been a long time coming and I am an extremely proud chief executive knowing that we are building the country's first dedicated NHS veterans’ orthopaedic centre, expanding on the already excellent Veterans’ Orthopaedic Service that we provide."

The project will also bring a major economic boost to the local area, as the main contractor, Pave Aways, is based just under eight miles from the site of the new centre and, wherever the specification allows, will utilise businesses in its supply chain located within 40-miles of the hospital.

Steven Owen, Pave Aways’ managing director, added: “We are honoured to have been chosen to deliver this important facility for the Trust and Headley Court.”