Publish date: 20 June 2022
Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust is celebrating Armed Forces Day on Saturday 25 June by launching a new veterans’ passport for patients.
The veterans’ passport is a small handbook which the veteran owns and completes with as much or as little information as is important to them. The idea behind the passport is to enable a veteran to disclose information that they may wish to share with healthcare professionals in a way that is comfortable to them, therefore reducing the need to recall any information, which may involve retelling and re-living traumatic memories.
Armed Forces Day is a chance for communities to show their support for the men and women who make up the Armed Forces community: from currently serving troops to service families, veterans and cadets. Armed Forces Day takes place on the last Saturday each June, with celebrations beginning on Monday 20 June when the Armed Forces Day flag was raised on buildings and famous landmarks around the country including at Tameside Hospital.
This is one of a number of measures that the Trust has implemented to support veterans. Tameside and Glossop NHS ICFT cares deeply about the Armed Forces community and have previously achieved Bronze and Silver awards for its commitment to the Ministry of Defence Employer Recognition Scheme to recognise, recruit and offer positions within the Trust members of the ex-Armed Forces community.
The Trust has also been accredited as a Veteran Aware Trust in recognition of its commitment to improving NHS care for veterans, reservists, serving members of the Armed Forces and their families, and becomes one of 104 national NHS Trusts to receive this accolade.
Karen James OBE, Chief Executive for Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust said: “We are proud to support our local community of veterans and service families by being one of a group of 104 NHS providers who have been accredited as exemplars of the best care for veterans, helping to drive improvements in NHS care.
“We hope that the veterans’ passport will enable our patients who are veterans, to receive better, more personalised care and support from care teams across the Trust. The passports are available to be picked up from our Outpatients’ reception from today.”
