Our support for the Armed Forces community
BCHC is committed to addressing health and employment inequalities. This year, on the anniversary of the birth of Captain Noel Godfrey Chavasse and ahead of Remembrance Day on Sunday, we are expressing our commitment to support the Armed Forces community by signing the Armed Forces Covenant.
The covenant underscores our commitment to treating those who serve and their families fairly. It affirms our dedication to ensuring that the Armed Forces community does not experience disadvantages due to their service and we pledge to uphold this moral obligation.
Signing the covenant also denotes the beginning of our journey to achieve the Veteran Covenant Healthcare Alliance (VCHA) ‘veteran aware’ accreditation. Achieving this would evidence our dedication to supporting the Armed Forces community, which includes veterans, reservists, and their families. At BCHC, we recognise the unique challenges they face, such as accessing healthcare and employment opportunities. To address these challenges, we are aligning our efforts with two national accreditation schemes - the VCHA 'veteran aware' accreditation and the Ministry of Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS), both rooted in the principles of the Armed Forces Covenant.
We are proud of our prior recognition as an ERS Award recipient and our commitment through the Step into Health community pledge. However, we understand the need to refresh and revalidate our dedication to these initiatives.
As we move forward, we are committed to the process of achieving 'Veteran Aware' accreditation, guided by a framework of eight standards (click here to download guide, see page seven). This journey involves assessments, embedding standards of care, and continuous improvement. To support this endeavour, a working group will be established and we are looking for Armed Forces champions to help us on the journey.
Watch and listen to chief executive Richard Kirby's personal message below as he signs the Armed Forces Covenant on behalf of Team BCHC.