Sharing best practice, driving data-led quality improvement, and delivering better healthcare for our Armed Forces community
NHS VCHA Annual National Conference 2026
Theme: Strengthening the Alliance
Agenda
Session 1 - Strategic Overview
10.30am – 10.35am
National VCHA Chair welcome to delegates: Prof Tim Briggs CBE
10.35am – 10.40am
Housekeeping: Lt Col (Retd) Guy Benson
10.40am – 10.50am
Armed Forces (children) – Lived experience: Shafiq ‘Sid’ Sadiq
10.50am – 11.00am
Keynote address: Minister Calvin Bailey MBE MP
11.00am – 11.15am
Trailblazing and empowerment: Dame Kelly Holmes MBE (mil) OLY
11.15am – 11.35am
NHS Armed Forces healthcare: Kate Davies CBE
11.35am – 11.55am
NHS Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance: Prof Tiim Briggs CBE
11.55am – 12.15pm
NHS Armed Forces Patient and Public Voice Group: Nicky Murdoch MBE
12.15pm – 12.35pm
VALOUR Update: Tom Verney
12.35pm – 12.45pm
Session 1 – Panel Session: All available speakers
12.45pm – 1.15pm
Lunch Break: All attendees
Session 2 - Raising Awareness
1.15pm – 1.25pm
Armed Forces (veteran) – Lived experience: Martin Diver
1.25pm – 1.35pm
VCHA Outcomes Framework: Maj (Retd) David B Wood
1.35pm – 1.45pm
VCHA Identification and data capture: Bernadette Knight
1.45pm – 1.55pm
NHS Armed Forces healthcare training and education programme: Jim Maskell
1.55pm – 2.10pm
Centre for Military Women’s Research : Dr Claire Hooks and Dr Susan Walker
2.10pm – 2.25pm
Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust – Next three years: Claire Rick
2.25pm – 2.40pm
202 (Midlands) Multi-role Medical Regiment (Army Reserves): Lt Col Jane Phillips-Wallace and Lt Col Kevin Eardley
2.40pm – 2.50pm
Session 2 – Panel Session: All available speakers
2.50pm – 3.00pm
Comfort Break: All attendees
Session 3 - Progress and Impact
3.00pm – 3.20pm
Armed Forces (veteran’s spouse) – Lived experience: Jo Keeble
3.20pm – 3.40pm
Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust: Maj Dan Brooks TD VR
3.40pm – 4.00pm
Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust: Capt Johanna ‘JJ’ Hrycak VR
4.00pm – 4.10pm
Session 3 – Panel Session: All available speakers
4.10pm – 4.15pm
Closing address: Prof Tim Briggs CBE
Speakers
Minister Calvin Bailey MBE MP
Calvin is the Minister for Veterans and People.
Calvin was born in Zambia and raised in South East London. An RAF scholar, he read Engineering and Engineering Management at the University of Exeter. He was elected as the MP for Leyton and Wanstead in July 2024 and appointed Minister for Veterans and People in the Ministry of Defence in June 2026.
He commissioned as a pilot into the RAF in 1999, flying predominantly C-130 and A400M aircraft. He deployed on operations worldwide, including time in Afghanistan, Haiti, Cyprus, Sudan and Iraq. He also helped established the Armed Forces Chronic Conditions and Disabilities Network and chaired the RAF Ethnic Minorities Network.
As a Parliamentarian he has been a member of the House of Commons Select Committee on Defence, Chair of the Armed Forces Community All Party Parliamentary Group.
He was awarded the US Air Medal for his service with the US Air Force in 2007 and the MBE in 2013. He is married, with four children.
Dame Kelly Holmes MBE (mil) OLY
A global inspirational and motivational speaker for over 20 years, a trained Mental Health First Aider, Dame Kelly Holmes runs empowering women events under her brand Athena Effect and uses her professional platform to speak on topics to do with Inclusion, women’s health, mental health, fitness, high performance and positivity.
Recognised in 1998 by the now King Charles, when she was awarded an MBE for services to the British Army. She is now a proud veteran.
Dame Kelly Holmes, illustrious athletic career spanned 12 years, during which she claimed multiple medals at the Commonwealth, European, World, and Olympic levels. The pinnacle came in 2004 at the Athens Olympic Games, where she made history as the first British woman ever to win two gold medals in a single Olympics, triumphing in the 800m and 1500m events. In recognition of her monumental achievements in sport, she was honoured with a Damehood by the late Queen Elizabeth in 2005.
Dame Kelly Holmes, a charity founder, winner of multiple awards as a sportswoman, philanthropist and speaker, is beacon of strength and relentless energy. She embodies resilience, determination, and the spirit of empowerment, serving as a true trailblazer for countless causes. A champion and voice of acceptance, confidence and striving for excellence.
Kate Davies CBE
Kate is the Director of Health and Justice, Armed Forces and Sexual Assault Services of NHS England.
Collaborative work with a range of partners, including the Ministry of Defence and Office for Veterans’ Affairs, as well as Armed Forces charities, has resulted in the launch of a suite of ‘Op’ services, spanning Op COURAGE: The Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Service, Op RESTORE: The Veterans Physical Health and Wellbeing Service, Op NOVA: Supporting Veterans in the Justice System, and Op NOVA: Armed Forces Community Support. She has also led the rollout of the Veteran Friendly GP accreditation programme, the launch of Healthcare for the Armed Forces community: a forward view, and the establishment of Armed Forces families support networks.
Kate’s strong leadership style and commitment to lived experience, co-production and addressing health inequalities, has led to her being awarded an OBE in 2009 for services for disadvantaged communities and a CBE in 2018, for her work to improve services for some of the most vulnerable groups. She is also an Honorary Doctor of Staffordshire University in recognition of her commitment to health and social equality.
Prof Tim Briggs CBE
Prof Tim Briggs is the National Director for Clinical Improvement and UEC/Recovery for NHS England, the National Chair for Getting It Right First Time and for the Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance, and an Honorary Colonel of 202 Midlands Multi-Role Medical Regiment.
He qualified from The Royal London Hospital in 1982 with honours in surgery and a number of prizes. After his senior registrar training he was appointed to the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital as Consultant in 1992. His specialist interests are in orthopaedic oncology as well as surgery to the hip and knee. He was Medical Director at the RNOH for 15 years, ensuring a re-build and was President of the British Orthopaedic Association in 2014.
He was appointed as National Director for Clinical Quality and Efficiency for the NHS in September 2015 and had been asked to lead and rollout his Getting It Right First Time methodology, developed in orthopaedics, across all surgical and medical specialties within the provider network.
Prof Briggs was made a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2018 New Year’s Honours List for services to the surgical profession.
In January 2019, he was appointed as National Director for Clinical Improvement and UEC/Recovery for NHS England.
Nicky Murdoch MBE
Nicky is the Independent Chair for the Armed Forces Patient and Public Voice Group at NHS England.
Nicky enjoyed a 30-year career in the British Army where she served in a variety of appointments as diverse as specialist intelligence in Northern Ireland to military music. She was Chief Executive Officer at the St John and Red Cross Defence Medical Welfare Service for seven years which brought her in to contact with patients and their families from across the Armed Forces community as the charity delivered a support service to those in military hospitals in Germany and Cyprus and NHS Hospitals in the UK including the devolved administrations. This job was excellent preparation for chairing the NHS England Armed Forces Patient and Public Voice Group and representing the needs and challenges of the serving, reserves, veterans and their families to NHS England’s Armed Forces Healthcare Commissioning Team.
Nicky’s own lived experience came from when she was diagnosed with cancer in 2007, receiving NHS treatment for the physical and emotional impacts. Following this, Nicky was seconded to a youth education charity, SkillForce, where she designed, developed and delivered a recovery programme for wounded, injured and sick service personnel. This programme was the forerunner to the current Defence Recovery Capability. Nicky has lived experience of Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and depression and is a member of the LGBT+ community. Nicky is the daughter of an Army family.
She was a member of the Government’s Veteran’s Advisory Board for 3 years, a member of the Advisory Board to the Independent Review of LGBT Veterans and is a Trustee of the Veteran’s Foundation. She is a Chartered Manager and a Chartered Companion of the Chartered Management Institute and is a member of the “Our Dorset” Public Experience Group for the ICB.
Lt Col (Retd) Guy Benson
Guy is the National Team Leader of the Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance and NHS Armed Forces healthcare training and education programme.
He is a retired Soldier and Army Officer. His military career spans 40 years and has extensively travelled the world. He ended his regular army career as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Operations Directorate in the Ministry of Defence, London. He has deployed a number of times to Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan. He joined the Full Time Army Reserve (FTRS) in 2011 and was employed as the Army Head of Engagement in the North East, London and finally the South West.
In 2018, he left the UK Armed Forces, and was employed by Wiltshire Council as the Military Special Advisor to the Leader and Chief Executive of the Council. He joined the NHS in 2021 as the National Team Leader of the Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance. In early 2025 he took on the additional responsibility of leading the NHS National Armed Forces healthcare training and education programme for the NHS workforce.
Maj (Retd) David B Wood
David is the Interim Lead and the North of England Regional Lead for the Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance.
He served 34 years as both a soldier and army officer, initially as a clerk in the Royal Pioneers before compulsory transfer to the Adjutant Generals Corps (Staff and Personnel Support) Branch in 1992. David has served at Regimental Duty and at Staff, with tours in Northern Ireland, Germany, Canada and Hong Kong and deployed operationally to Rwanda and Iraq.
After service he was appointed as the Armed Forces Lead in the South West local authority Armed Forces Covenant Project, which saw the formation of a regional mobile veterans outreach service and a Strategic Level Partnership Board. He was appointed as a member of the South West Veterans Pensions and Advisory Committees in Jan 2020.
Joining the VCHA in 2021, David brings a wealth of both military and public service to his role, where he is the VCHA Interim Team Lead and the Regional Lead for the North East and North West of England.
Jim Maskell
Jim is the Interim Training and Education Lead and the London Regional Trainer for the NHS Armed Forces healthcare training and education programme.
Jim was commissioned into the Corps of Royal Engineers in 1995. Whilst serving Jim was injured and was medically discharged in 2000. On leaving the military Jim embarked on a successful career coaching rugby. He helped develop and deliver a number of large national programmes with National Governing Bodies and significant stakeholders. Jim was incredibly lucky to have worked across the world, as a coach, learning a wide variety of methods in coaching and training.
In 2016, Jim joined the London Ambulance Service (LAS) as an Emergency Ambulance Crew. During his time in the LAS he was responsible for ensuring that they signed the Armed Forces Covenant, became Veteran Aware and that they achieved Silver in the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme. Following this he moved into the Public Education Department and helped deliver training and projects across London. He also joined the London Armed Forces Network which he continues to Co-Chair.
In 2023, Jim left the LAS and joined The Poppy Factory as their Partnerships and Development Manager. A significant part of this role was leading on the Thrive Together Programme in London. Jim joined the Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance in 2025 and is the Interim Team Lead for the NHS Armed Forces healthcare training and education programme and the Regional Trainer for London.
Bernadette Knight
Bernadette is the Data Lead for the Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance.
Bernadette is an experienced senior NHS manager who has been a registered nurse for 40 years. Joining the NHS and training at the University of Wales, she specialised in intensive care nursing and worked in Cardiff, London, where she gained a post graduate ICU diploma and in Bristol before moving into clinical research.
There followed a period outside the NHS in national and regional roles as deputy head of nursing and head of care for private and third sector providers where she also gained qualification and membership of the Institute for Learning and Management. She returned to NHS management in acute, community, ambulance, mental health and primary care for both commissioners and providers focussing on quality and patient safety and service improvement.
Bernadette is formally trained in quality improvement methodology, project management and information management. Most recently she has been working for Getting It Right First Time across multiple specialities including the VCHA programme, in implementation and project management for the last 5 years.
Major Dan Brookes TD VR
Dan is the Armed Forces Lead of Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.
He joined the NHS in 2020 to lead implementation of the first NHS Op COURAGE Pathfinder Pilot with Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. His move into healthcare was influenced by one of his Army appointments as Permanent President of Service Inquiries, where around 50% of the casework related to the mental health and welfare of Service personnel and their families. The Pathfinder was subsequently commissioned as the national NHS Op COURAGE service. In 2024, Dan joined Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, where he authored the Berkshire Healthcare Armed Forces Strategy, co-produced with Defence Medical Services and launched at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, and is now leading implementation of its Armed Forces People and Patient Programmes.
Before joining the NHS, Dan held senior operations, transformation, technology and governance and cyber leadership roles across banking, industry and Govt. As Chief of Staff, UK Home Office Cyber Governance and Risk Assurance, he helped establish the Home Office-wide cyber security capability and led a recruitment strategy that resulted in 25% of the workforce being drawn from the Armed Forces community.
A currently serving Army Reservist, who joined in 2005, and service which included 10 years of full-time regular military service, Dan has held Private Executive Office appointments across Army Headquarters, working in the three- and four-star environment, and in the Ministry of Defence and the Chief of the General Staff’s Office on a Cabinet Office-sponsored programme. Following two spinal injuries—one sustained on duty and one on operations requiring medical evacuation—Dan experienced first-hand the rehabilitation provided by the NHS, Defence Medical Services and the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre at Headley Court and Stanford Hall, during rehabilitation, where he relearned to walk again.. He also brings a current military family perspective, with one son, aged 23, serving in the Royal Signals (Cyber), and another, aged 29, who previously served in the Royal Navy.
Shahif 'Sid' Sadiq
Shafiq ‘Sid’ Sadiq is the Armed Forces Lead at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust.
Sid served 22 years in the Royal Army Dental Corps, helping support the health, readiness, and operational capability of service personnel across the UK and overseas postings.
Since 2022, he has been the Armed Forces Lead at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, where he has reshaped how the NHS supports veterans, serving personnel, reservists, and military families. During his tenure, he has helped provide direct support to over 6,000 veterans across Lancashire and beyond.
Sid pioneered the first direct electronic Armed Forces referral pathway within the hospital’s patient record system that now receives around 120 referrals every month to the team. This has since become a mandatory admission procedure substantially increasing the number of referrals. He also co‑created the Armed Forces Community Support Officer role with Fiona Lamb, establishing a brand‑new pathway dedicated to improving Armed Forces community care for those patients who are seen and treated in their own homes.
In July 2026, Sid graduated with a BA (Hons) in Executive Healthcare Management and achieved the prestigious status of Chartered Manager with the CMI, recognising his leadership excellence and professional impact within the NHS.
His contributions have been honoured at the highest levels. Sid and the team received the Certificate for Meritorious Service to Veterans and their families, presented by the Lord Lieutenant of Lancashire on behalf of His Majesty King Charles III.
Sid and the team are the Winners of the English Veterans Awards 2025, Winners of the National Service Awards 2025, Finalists in the Soldiering On Awards in both 2025 and 2026, and have been shortlisted twice for the HSJ Awards for their contribution to Armed Forces support and healthcare.
Tom Verney
Tom is the Deputy Head of VALOUR in the Office for Veterans’ Affairs.
He oversees delivery of the UK-wide programme, which is improving coordination of support for veterans and the armed forces community.
Tom has worked in a number of government departments during his career in the Civil Service. Major programmes include EU Exit preparations in both the Department for Exiting the European Union and the Cabinet Office, and the response to COVID-19 in the Department of Health and Social Care and then the UK Health Security Agency. He has also worked on veterans policy and the Armed Forces Covenant in the Ministry of Defence, and now brings that experience to the VALOUR team.
Jo Keeble
Jo is the Team Administrator of Op RESTORE.
Jo is a veteran who served for four years in the Territorial Army (TA). Military service has been an important part of her life and family heritage. Her late mother served for 23 years in the TA, and Jo had the unique privilege of serving alongside her in 257 Southern General Hospital RAMC(V). She is also the proud wife of a Royal Anglian soldier who completed 24 years of service and is now a veteran living with complex combat-related PTSD.
Following her husband’s retirement from the Army, Jo returned to her home city of Norwich, where she joined an NHS trust as a Consultant Secretary in Rheumatology. She dedicated 24 years to the role before recently taking up the position of Team Administrator with Op RESTORE. She is proud to be part of a dedicated and supportive team committed to providing specialist healthcare for veterans.
Supporting veterans and raising awareness of their unique needs is a cause that is close to Jo’s heart. Drawing on her own military experience, her family’s longstanding connection to service, and her professional background within the NHS, she is passionate about advocating for the veteran community and helping to ensure that veterans receive the understanding, recognition, and support they deserve.
Dr Claire Hooks
Dr Claire Hooks is an experienced researcher, lecturer and Registered UK Midwife.
She qualified as a midwife in 2001 and has worked in a variety of practice, educational and research settings and roles since. Claire’s particular interest is in women and families facing social and health inequalities and challenges.
Claire has a variety of UK and international research experience, utilising both qualitative and quantitative methods and analysis. Claire’s research, and research supervision (MSc and Doctoral), focuses in the area of women’s health and experience and education.
Complementing her research she has previously been a volunteer recovery worker at a local drug and alcohol charity; open road, where she was involved in running a joint project with Essex probation service for women.
Dr Susan Walker
Dr Susan Walker is an Associate Professor of Contraception, Sexual and Reproductive Health at Anglia Ruskin University.
Prior to entering academia she was an NHS General Practitioner with an interest in women’s health. She is a diplomate of the UK Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Health and a member of the European Society of Contraception. She is a member of the British Medical Association and registered with the General Medical Council.
She has experience of both qualitative and quantitative research on contraceptive behaviour and experiences. She is currently working with a hospital trust in England on a project to reduce inequalities in midwifery outcomes, including exploring the reproductive health needs of military spouses and the contraceptive needs of vulnerable women.
Claire Rick
Claire is Director of Strategy at the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust, taking executive lead for policy, strategic development, strategic communications, research, impact and digital delivery.
Claire started her career as a radio journalist before moving into media relations roles in local government and with the regional development agency One North East. Claire joined the School Food Trust in 2009 to lead its national media relations and campaigns through its evolution into the national charity the Children’s Food Trust, before heading up public affairs and communications for national primary care premises specialist Assura plc. Claire established a national community fund for the business, and subsequently joined Cheshire Community Foundation to lead its grants and impact activity.
Away from work, Claire has chaired a Manchester charity seeking to expand access to some of the city’s historic theatres, is a school governor and likes to get out in the hills for a run whenever possible!
Lt Col Jane Phillips-Wallace
Lt Col Jane Phillips-Wallace is the Commanding Officer of 202 (Midlands) Multi-Role Medical Regiment and a senior Army Reserve officer with more than 20 years of leadership experience spanning military operations, healthcare, public service and organisational development.
Commissioned in 2001 as an Environmental Health Officer, she began her career working in local government, enforcing environmental health legislation to protect public health and communities, while simultaneously serving in the Reserve Forces.
Alongside her military service, Jane has held academic appointments, including serving as a Teaching Fellow at the University of Birmingham, contributing to the education and development of future professionals. Her combined experience across academia, local government and Defence has given her a unique perspective on leadership, public service and the transferability of skills between military and civilian careers.
Her operational service includes deployment on Operation HERRICK 19B in Afghanistan, where she led the Hospital Reception Team, and service as a Medical Advisor to the United Nations in Somalia. She has also undertaken Full-Time Reserve Service appointments delivering Defence-wide organisational learning programmes on behalf of the Vice Chief of the Defence Staff and has served at Army Headquarters specialising in Army Reserve health, readiness and capability.
Lt Col Kevin Eardley
Dr Kevin Eardley is a consultant physician and nephrologist at Shrewsbury & Telford NHS Trust, where he has led the renal department and introduced clinical research since his appointment in 2005.
He has also played key roles in developing acute medicine services, improving unscheduled care pathways, and serving as Divisional Medical Director during challenging periods for the NHS.
Currently, he is an Undergraduate Clinical Tutor for Keele University, Clinical Lead for postgraduate simulation and skills, and the Trust’s Armed Forces Champion, focusing on health inequalities. In addition to his NHS work, he serves as a consultant physician with 202 MMR, promotes collaboration between the Army Medical Service and NHS, and founded the William Farr Academy to support state school students pursuing medical careers.
Capt Johanna ‘JJ’ Hrycak VR
Johanna Hrycak, widely know as ‘JJ’, is the Armed Forces Covenant Support Officer Lead at Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.
JJ joined the Army Reserve in 1998. She served as a combat medic attached to The Rifles, the Army Air Corps and the Intelligence Corps, before commissioning into the Royal Logistic Corps in 2022.
Between 2015 and 2018, JJ managed the Army Careers Centre in Milton Keynes. She was subsequently appointed Armed Forces Covenant Project Manager for both Milton Keynes and Bedfordshire councils. In 2022, she took post as Armed Forces Covenant Officer at Milton Keynes University Hospital, working four days a week while continuing her role with Milton Keynes City Council one day a week.
JJ has been instrumental in driving the Armed Forces agenda across both organisations, which hold the MOD Employer Recognition Scheme Gold Award. She also supports and mentors other organisations through covenant signings and accreditation processes.
Working collaboratively at local, regional and national levels, JJ has built a strong and effective Armed Forces network. This includes establishing a monthly face-to-face Armed Forces Hub in collaboration with Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service and Thames Valley Police, providing members of the Armed Forces community with access to advice, guidance and practical, real-life support from trusted statutory and third-sector organisations.
JJ is married to Lieutenant Colonel Michael Hrycak VR and has four children, all of whom are, or have been, members of the Cadet Forces. One now serves in the Royal Naval Reserve.
Martin Diver
Martin is a veteran and an advocate for patient experience.
Martin is a British Army veteran who joined the military at the age of 17½. He served with the 2nd Battalion, Royal Anglian Regiment, an infantry battalion, and spent three years in a regular unit, deploying to Northern Ireland, Bosnia, and Africa. Initially serving as a rifleman, Martin was later given the opportunity to join the Royal Anglian Regiment’s Band, known as the “Poachers Band.” Following extensive touring with the band, he was selected to attend a pupil musician course at the prestigious Royal Military School of Music, Kneller Hall.
Martin served during the period of the ban on LGBT+ personnel serving openly in the British Armed Forces, which remained in place until 2000. Unwilling to continue living what he felt was a double life, he made the difficult decision to disclose his sexuality to his chain of command. This disclosure triggered a series of traumatic events that ultimately resulted in his dismissal from the Army and the loss of a career he deeply valued and loved. After retraining as a mental health nurse after leaving the military, Martin recently took early retirement after a long and successful career in the NHS.
The impact of this experience has remained with Martin throughout his life. More recently, he has supported the NHS Armed Forces healthcare training and education programme by generously volunteering his time to share his story through a lived experience film. By doing so, he is helping to educate healthcare professionals about the importance of identifying veterans within healthcare settings, enabling tailored support that can improve outcomes and make a meaningful difference to veterans’ lives.