GOBOWEN’S specialist orthopaedic hospital is celebrating after being reaccredited with its Veteran Aware status, from the Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance (VCHA).
The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital (RJAH) was initially hailed as Veteran Aware in November 2018.
The reaccreditation follows the opening of the state-of-the-art Headley Court Veterans’ Orthopaedic Centre at the Oswestry-based hospital.
Veteran Aware status, which is awarded by the VCHA, reaffirms the Trust’s commitment to providing the best standards of care to the Armed Forces community, past and present, and their families, based on the principles of the Armed Forces Covenant.
The Armed Forces Covenant is a promise by the nation ensuring that those who serve, or who have served, in the armed forces, and their families, are treated fairly.
OTHER NEWS:
- Pub burglaries on Wednesday may be linked say police in Oswestry
- Oswestry man denies assaulting shop worker and stealing from town stores
- Thief stole more than £2,000 of items from Oswestry hairdressing salon
Rebecca Warren, a nurse at RJAH and staff reservist, led on the reaccreditation work.
She said: “It’s awesome that we’ve been reaccredited our Veteran Aware status.
“As well as the completion of the Headley Court Veterans’ Orthopaedic Centre, we have also carried out staff training to ensure each member of staff knows their responsibilities to the Armed Forces community.
“We are activity trying to recruit those leaving the military to join the Trust.”
The Headley Court Veterans’ Orthopaedic Centre is a two-storey building featuring nine standard examination and clinic rooms, an enhanced treatment room for minor outpatient procedures, an assessment room, a splinting and therapy room, as well as clinic space for virtual appointments.
In the main entrance of the building, there is a café and dedicated Veterans’ Hub where Shropshire Council and various military charities will provide support to veteran patients and their family and friends, with issues that range from homelessness, finance, debt management, welfare, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), benefits and more.
Stacey Keegan, chief executive officer at RJAH, said: “The Veteran Aware scheme is a fantastic initiative that will ensure the bespoke needs of the Armed Forces community are at the heart of their care.
“One of our aims as a Trust is to become a centre of excellence for the Armed Forces community, and being a Veteran Aware Trust really underpins this aim. I am extremely proud that we have been awarded the Veteran Aware status again.”
David Wood, VCHA regional lead, said: “Well done to RJAH – it’s clear from all I’ve seen that as a Trust you fully adhere to the principles of the Armed Forces Covenant.
“I am so pleased that the commitment of the Trust with the Armed Forces agenda has been recognised in this way.”
Want to stay up to date with all the latest stories from Oswestry and the surrounding area? Click here to sign up for our morning and daily email newsletters and click on the + for the ‘Morning Briefing’ and the 'Daily Catch-Up'.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here