The East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST) hosted the Lord Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire, Mrs Julie Spence OBE QPM, on 30 November 2021, at the headquarters at Melbourn in Cambridgeshire.
Mrs Spence, who is also Chair of neighbouring Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, presented EEAST Trust Chief Executive Officer, Tom Abell, with their Veteran Aware sign. Accreditation had been awarded in April, and the small group who attended the ceremony were drawn from veterans and reservists – all of whom work for EEAST.
EEAST joins the growing number of Trusts who have joined the Veterans Aware Covenant Healthcare Alliance (VCHA) and is one of 12 in the region to do so.
Speaking at the event, Terry Hicks, Head of Operations (Norfolk & Waveney) and EEAST Armed Forces Champion, said: “We are incredibly proud as an organisation that we can continue to demonstrate the support and encouragement that we give to our reservists, veterans and to their families. There is still more to do, but this award gives us the impetus to drive this across the ambulance and health sectors.”
VCHA East of England Regional Lead, David Wood said: “I applaud the EEAST’s achievement in becoming Veteran Aware, particularly during such a challenging year, and I am glad the Trust has been able to celebrate in some small way. Terry, and all members of this ambulance trust, deserve special recognition for what they have achieved, for what they do and for what they will no doubt continue to deliver for all patients. Everyone involved should be commended, and I look forward to working with them as they build on this solid base committed to the armed forces community.”
The Veteran Covenant Healthcare Alliance (VCHA) is committed to improving Armed Forces and Veteran care whilst raising standards for all. 105 NHS providers in England are now Veteran Aware accredited, and the VCHA aims to have all Trusts in England accredited by November 2022 at the latest. Find out more about our work and about Rehabilitation by clicking here.
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