Hospital staff encourage armed forces veterans to ‘say you served’

Mid Cheshire Hospitals is urging armed forces veterans to say they served when using health and care services.

The Trust’s Veterans Awareness Group issued the appeal during Armed Forces Week as part of their work to increase support for the military community.

Veterans are being encouraged to speak up about their service so hospital staff can:

• understand and meet their needs;
• link them with a Trust armed forces champion;
• connect them with charities or other organisations that provide specific support.

Joanne Leese served in the Royal Air Force for 13 years from 1986 to 1999 across bases in England and Northern Ireland, working in communication decoding during the Cold War and Northern Ireland troubles.

She is now the Volunteer Veteran Lead at Mid Cheshire Hospitals and coordinates work to support the Armed Forces Covenant.

Joanne said:

“As a veteran myself, I understand how important it is for the armed forces community to receive the right care for them.

“It’s also vital that we’re able to show veterans that there are many organisations offering help including mental and physical wellbeing services.

“That’s why it’s so important to say you served. It can make a real difference to our patients and helps us to ensure they get the right support.”

Darren Hough served in the Royal Army Medical Corps as a Combat Medical Technician and was deployed in Northern Ireland, Rwanda, Bosnia, Kosovo, the First and Second Gulf War, and Afghanistan.

The former Regimental Sergeant Major is now a Porter at Leighton Hospital, a Veterans Champion and member of the Trust’s Veterans Awareness Group.

Darren, who served in the armed forces for 24 years, said:

“Sometimes it’s just helpful for a veteran to know there’s someone there who understands their service and the issues they may face.

“If patients speak up about being a veteran and our group is informed, we can then make contact and maybe just provide that listening ear that the patient needs.”

The Veterans Awareness Group are also highlighting the importance of all members of the armed forces community speaking up when receiving healthcare, including serving personnel, reservists, and their immediate family.

Joanne said:

“If you’re a family member, partner or carer of someone who is or was in the armed forces, it can be just as important that you’re aware of the support available out there – so please remember to tell us about their military service.”    

Mid Cheshire Hospitals’ appeal to ‘say you served’ comes at the same time that the organisation received confirmation that its prestigious Veterans Aware status has been renewed.

The Trust first achieved the status in May 2023 and staff recently submitted an application to retain the title.

During Armed Forces Week, General Lord Richard Dannett, Patron of the Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance, and Professor Tim Briggs, Chair of the Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance, wrote jointly to the Trust to confirm the status had been approved.

They said:

“Your efforts in continuing to drive the Veteran Aware agenda in your organisation are clearly progressing and making a difference.

“We thank you for your hard work demonstrating the NHS's commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant.”

Mid Cheshire Hospitals signed the Armed Forces Covenant in the summer of 2022 and the Veterans Awareness Group was also formed at the organisation.

In November 2024, the Trust received a top national honour for supporting the armed forces community, claiming a prestigious Gold Award from the Ministry of Defence (MOD) Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS).

The Mid Cheshire Hospitals website includes contact details for the Veterans Awareness Group, as well as links to organisations that can support the armed forces community. The page also has information about the Trust’s approach to employing veterans and its support of the Armed Forces Covenant.

For more information, visit: 

mcht.nhs.uk/armedforces

When recruits leave the UK Armed Forces, it is also particularly important for them to register with an NHS GP practice and tell them they’ve served.

This means their GP can better understand their health, particularly any health problems relating to their time in service.

More information is available here: 

nhs.uk/veterans

Pictured - VE Day 80 celebrations with representatives including the Mayor of Crewe, Royal British Legion, Crewe and District Military Vehicles, Mid Cheshire Hospitals, and Cheshire East Council.