Ramsay Health Care UK has been recognised for providing focused support and care to the local Armed Forces community and has been awarded with Veteran Aware accreditation.
The award, which was at the corporate level comes during Armed Forces Week (19 to 24 June) and the independent healthcare provider has plans to roll out micro Veteran Aware accreditations at Ramsay UK sites.
Ramsay Health Care UK is part of an international global healthcare provider and has 34 hospitals and facilities across England. Ramsay UK is the leading provider of acute care to the NHS in the Independent Sector.
Veteran Aware accreditation means Ramsay UK has committed to making sure that members of the Armed Forces community will not be disadvantaged in the care they receive and where possible, receive personalised care to improve patient outcomes in line with the principles of the Armed Forces Covenant.
Accreditation was carried out by the Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance (VCHA), a national NHS team. The VCHA develops, shares and drives the implementation of best practice, while at the same time raising standards for everyone.
The Armed Forces Covenant is a promise by the nation ensuring that those who serve, or who have served in the Armed Forces, and their families, are treated fairly. Ramsay UK was awarded the MOD Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) Bronze award in 2023 and has recently applied for ERS Silver in April 2023
"Recognising and supporting our teams and patients is incredibly important to us at Ramsay UK, and this is never more true than those in the Armed Forces Community," said Nick Costa, Chief Executive Officer of Ramsay UK. “I am personally delighted that, as an organisation, we are pursuing a proactive, inclusive, and engaging agenda to support and engage with our Armed Forces community, and I look forward to how we can continue to be a valuable partner to all in this community."
Mike Harris, National Lead of Clinical Education in Ramsay UK and Veteran of the Armed Forces said, “As a veteran, it’s really important that my employer recognises the importance of the Armed Forces community and it’s great to see the significant steps it has taken to not only support our staff, but most importantly our patients. I am really grateful to the Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance for all their assistance in gaining this important accreditation.”
Prof Tim Briggs CBE, VCHA Chairman, said: “This was a truly outstanding application from an independent healthcare provider that clearly cares about those who’ve served. It very clearly meets the requirements of the Armed Forces Covenant and our manifesto points and I’m delighted to have them on board. Well done!”
Tony Armstrong, Widening Scope (Projects) Lead, said: “I’m absolutely delighted to have worked with Ramsay Health Care UK on their application and to be able to announce this during Armed Forces Week. Their ethos is first-class.
“It is especially heartening to see an independent provider the size of Ramsay UK sign up to accreditation as this means our message is being heard in the boardroom and for this I am grateful.”