We are veteran aware

Our two champions of Armed Forces Day
Our two champions of Armed Forces Day.

The Royal Free London is one of three trusts (alongside King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and London Ambulance Service NHS Trust) in the capital to have been given special accreditation for the care it provides to those who have served in the armed forces.

The award means the trust has signed up to the ethos of the Armed Forces Covenant, which is a guarantee by the nation that those who serve or who have served in the armed forces and their families are treated fairly. 

Among the measures the trust has undertaken to achieve its Veteran Aware status is:

  • Establishing links to appropriate nearby veteran services including mental health care
  • Appointed two veterans' champions within the trust.

It's not just serving members of the armed forces. Partners, children, relatives (living in the same household, those with financial responsibility, assumed regular, and substantial caring responsibility), and bereaved family members are also considered part of the armed forces community.

This is a reminder to health and social care staff and patients in the UK to always ask the question: "Have you, or anyone in your immediate family, ever served in the British Armed Forces?"