Supporting the Armed Forces Community in your workforce

Overview

Lincolnshire is home to five operational military bases and a population of approximately 8,000 service personnel and their families. United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust (ULHT) recognised that they needed to work hard to integrate members of the Armed Forces community into their workforce and to make sure they were serving this population well as service users.

Key benefits and outcomes

For the trust, the integration of military personnel has enhanced its workforce's skill mix. Reservists bring experiences from high-stakes environments, and these are directly applicable to clinical settings, helping to improve patient safety and operational efficiency.

The trust’s efforts have enhanced its reputation, both within the Armed Forces community and the broader healthcare sector. The Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) Gold Award helped forge new partnerships with military charities and local veterans’ groups. Staff retention and engagement have also improved, as Armed Forces personnel feel more valued and supported within the organisation.

What the organisation faced

Given Lincolnshire’s large and dispersed military population, ULHT recognised that it needed a structured approach to support both its Armed Forces staff, and patients who use its services. The primary challenge was ensuring that the needs of Reservists, Veterans, and their families were fully understood and accommodated. This included balancing the military commitments of reservists with their NHS roles and creating an environment where military staff felt acknowledged and respected.

Additionally, ULHT sought to increase awareness among its broader workforce of the challenges and unique perspectives faced by military personnel. The aim was to ensure that Armed Forces staff were not only supported through policy but also through an inclusive culture that recognised their contributions.

What the organisation did

ULHT implemented several initiatives to support its Armed Forces community:

• Signing the Armed Forces Covenant. This formal commitment demonstrated ULHT’s pledge to honour and support both current and former military personnel.
• The trust introduced a special leave policy, granting an additional ten days of paid leave annually for Reservists to attend military training. This was accompanied by a flexible working policy, enabling reservists to balance military commitments with their NHS roles.
• Establishing an Armed Forces network. This internal network provided a dedicated platform for Reservists, Veterans, and the whole Armed Forces community to discuss challenges, share experiences, and advocate for further improvements in workplace support.
• Launching Armed Forces Champion training, educating staff on the unique needs and experiences of the Armed Forces community, empowering them to provide better care and support to both colleagues and patients.
• The trust strengthened partnerships with military charities, Veterans' groups, and the Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance. These relationships helped ULHT develop stronger ties to local military units and expand support services for military-connected staff and patients.

Results and benefits

The measures taken by ULHT have resulted in significant benefits across the organisation:

• Enhanced workforce skills, the leadership, teamwork and crisis management skills that Reservists bring from their military experience have improved team dynamics and contributed to better patient care, particularly in high-pressure situations.
• Higher staff retention and engagement. Reservists and Veterans within ULHT feel more valued and supported, leading to increased job satisfaction and lower turnover rates. The trust has also successfully recruited from the Armed Forces community, 25 per cent of those that ticked the declaration on their application to the trust were offered a position. 
• Achieving the ERS Gold Award enabled the trust to engage with other healthcare organisations and military stakeholders, facilitating knowledge sharing and collaboration on best practices.

Going forward

ULHT is committed to building on its achievements and further enhancing the support available to its Armed Forces community. A key area of focus is expanding the Armed Forces network to ensure more staff members feel included and supported. The trust also plans to increase the availability of Armed Forces champion training, allowing more staff to become advocates for their military colleagues and patients.

Additionally, ULHT aims to continue their support for the Step into Health programme, which helps military personnel transition into NHS careers, by holding insight days twice a year and by offering individual support to candiates.

Takeaway tips

• Create a strong support network. An Armed Forces network provides a valuable platform for staff to share their experiences and advocate for improvements.
• Introduce flexible policies to ensure that Reservists can balance their NHS roles with military commitments.
• Engage with external organisations. Build relationships with local military charities, veterans' groups and reserve units to provide comprehensive support for both staff and patients.

If you would like anymore information about the work of the trust please get in touch.