RJAH reaccredited Veteran Aware status for support to Armed Forces community

Shropshire’s specialist orthopaedic hospital is celebrating after being reaccredited – for the second time – 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. That status was reaffirmed in March 2023, and it has now successfully applied to renew that accreditation again for another three years. By the time it is going through the reaccreditation process again, the Trust will have held Veteran Aware certification for more than a decade.

Veteran Aware status, which is awarded by the VCHA, signifies 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.

Rebecca Warren, a nurse at RJAH, leading the hospital’s Enhanced Recovery Team, and an Armed Forces Reservist, led on the reaccreditation work.

She said: “It’s awesome that we’ve been reaccredited our Veteran Aware status.

“Over the last three years, we have seen our Headley Court Veterans Orthopaedic Centre going from strength to strength. We have also embedded staff training to ensure each member of staff knows their responsibilities to the Armed Forces community, and 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.  

The upstairs of the centre includes dedicated research offices, clinical teaching and training space for staff, a multi-disciplinary team room, and an office for admin staff.

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.”

Lt Col Carl Meyer, a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, and Director of the Veterans’ Service, said: “I welcome the news that we have been re-accredited as a Veteran Aware Trust. This is such an important scheme which helps to raise the profile of the veterans community and ensure their needs are met in a healthcare setting.

“This Trust has been at the forefront of the scheme since its inception, and I congratulate all the team, and especially Rebecca Warren, for delivering another successful outcome.”