NHS Trust wins award for its work to support Armed Forces veterans

An NHS Trust which supports veterans of the Armed Forces have been awarded a prestigious title. This is in recognition of the work it does to offer new careers to those with a military past.

South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust has been recognised at the English Veterans Awards, winning a silver award in the Employer of the Year category.

The Trust already has a number of accolades in relation to its support of the Armed Forces. 

It is a recognised Armed Forces Friendly employer and is a member of Step Into Health, a scheme to help those leaving the forces into a career within the NHS.

The Trust has also been re-awarded its Gold Employer Recognition (ERS) status, having been the first NHS organisation in the region to achieve this in 2017.

Last year it became a Veterans Aware Trust in recognition of its commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant. 

Each achievement underlines the Trust’s its dedication to supporting people in the Armed Forces, this is during a patient’s time in service and once they have left. The Trust also works to support its colleagues who are veterans and those who dedicate their time as reservists.

Tobi Oladipo, Armed Forces Healthcare Lead, who works to support patients with a background in the military, and Gemma Taylor, Workforce Development and Education Manager, travelled to the ceremony in Bristol to accept the silver award.

Tobi Oladipo, Armed Forces Healthcare Lead, who works to support patients with a background in the military, and Gemma Taylor, Workforce Development and Education Manager, travelled to the ceremony to accept the award.

Ger Fowler, of Sunderland-based support organisation Veterans in Crisis, also collected an award on the night. He won the top award in the Leader of the Year category.

Veterans in Crisis is one of the community groups the Trust works alongside to support its patients and employees, helping create a network across the region.

Kath Griffin is the Trust’s Executive Director of Human Resources and Organisational Development is its Armed Forces Champion.

She said:

"I’m delighted with this award win and every member of our Trust who has played a part in this should be proud of this achievement.

"I’m incredibly passionate about this work and what we have done so far, but we’ll continue to build on it.

"As a Trust we value the dedication and commitment shown by our Armed Forces and their families to not only our country but also to our region. Our job is to make sure they are supported when they come to us for care or if they join our team.

"We have welcomed many people with an Armed Forces background into jobs in our organisation because we know the skills they have learned during their military careers are hugely valuable in helping us as an organisation.

"This award shows the work we have put in is recognised by the wider veterans’ community and Tobi and Gemma in particular deserved to be celebrated for their part in that."

Organisers of the awards said they had a tough task of deciding on the winners after receiving a huge amount of applications. They said the aim of the event was to inspire Armed Service leavers that “great things can happen”.

Anyone who would like to find out more about the support offered to veterans and reservists who join the Trust can visit https://www.stsft.nhs.uk/join-our-team/armed-forces-friendly-employer/working-our-trust-veteran-or-reservist 

Details of job opportunities can be found by clicking here.