Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (WWL) is celebrating some of the great work the Trust has done and continues to do for the Armed Forces Community as part of Armed Forces Week.
A series of events are set to take place which began on Monday 19th June, with the launch of the Trust’s new Carers Passport and Policy, which will allow our Veterans to have a carer or loved one stay with them whilst receiving treatment, being launched as part of the celebrations.
On Wednesday 21st June, a coffee afternoon will be taking place in the Trust’s staff Wellbeing Lounge at Royal Albert Edward Infirmary with the 207 Field Hospital Reservists.
Rabina Tindale, WWL’s Chief Nurse spoke on the care the Trust provides for the local Armed Forces community saying: “All of us at WWL are incredibly proud of the work we have done to constantly improve the standard of care we provide for our Armed Forces Community.
“I’m extremely grateful for all the work our colleagues have put in to constantly innovate the care we provide and continue to meet the unique needs that our Veterans and their families have when accessing our services.”
Since gaining Veteran Aware status back in 2018, WWL has gone above and beyond in improving the care it provides for our local Armed Forces Community and helping improve their career opportunities.
WWL’s Armed Forces Healthcare Lead, Leanne Cobham has been instrumental in this transformation, playing a huge role in introducing schemes such as the Armed Forces Guaranteed Interview Scheme which gives Veterans and their families the chance to interview for roles at WWL when they meet the required job criteria.
Most recently, during this month’s Pride Month, WWL became just the fourth NHS Trust in the country to be accredited with the Pride in Veteran Standard.
This accreditation shows that all of WWL’s staff and volunteers are committed to providing the best possible support to LGBTQIA+ Veterans and their families. Leanne also continues to lead training sessions for clinical colleagues, providing them with the skills to meet the unique needs members of our Armed Forces Community may have when being cared for at WWL.
Leanne spoke on these achievements and the work WWL does to provide excellent care for the Armed Forces Community saying: “At WWL we are all extremely committed to providing the best possible care for our local Armed Forces community.
“Through gaining accreditation from the Pride in Veteran Standard and achieving the Gold Award from the Armed Forces Covenant, we have shown our commitment to our Veterans and their families and are constantly looking to improve the care and opportunities we can provide for them.
“As part of this week’s Armed Forces Week I am looking forward to celebrating how much we have achieved as a Trust in constantly improving the exceptional standard of care that our Armed Forces Community expects when accessing our services.”
WWL is also incredibly grateful to those Veterans who give up their time to get involved with the Trust.
One example of this is Mike Mills. Mike has received care from the Trust but also volunteered at WWL in the past and he is involved with the Trust’s development groups where he provides his expertise from both a patient and veteran perspective.
Mike served with the Army Medical Services in the 1960’s and 1970’s and spoke on his experiences at WWL and how he has seen the care we provide for our Armed Forces community develop over the years.
Mike stated: “I have found that my visits to WWL have always been extremely positive and I have always been treated with respect and that my military service has opened up the opportunity for conversation and dialogue between myself and members of staff.
“This has all helped to put me at ease as a patient and make my time at WWL a more pleasurable experience and I’m now available to the Trust’s Armed Forces Healthcare Lead at any time that she needs my input or assistance.”
Armed Forces Day itself takes place on Saturday 24th June, with an Armed Forces Day event taking place in Wigan Town Centre where military vehicles and a series of stalls will be on show. WWL colleagues and members of our local community are all invited to attend the event.