Chesterfield Royal Hospital supports Armed Forces colleagues
Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has signed the Armed Forces Covenant pledging support for current and future employees who are members of the military community.
The event took place on 14 August at the Chesterfield Royal Hospital when the Trust Chief Executive, Simon Morritt, signed the Covenant; Colonel Adam Fraser-Hitchin, Deputy Commander (Reserves) from the Army’s HQ 7th Infantry Brigade sign the Covenant on behalf of Defence.
In signing the Covenant, the Trust commits to support the Armed Forces community, recognising the value that Serving personnel, regular and reserve, veterans and military families contribute to society. The Covenant aims to make sure that those who serve or who have served in the Armed Forces, and their families, are treated with fairness and respect and face no disadvantage.
Two members of staff who used to work for the Armed Service represented the Trust. Jennifer Clarke is an HR Advisor, she served in the Army and was a Warrant Officer Class One, Regimental Sergeant Major. Meanwhile Mike Haywood served as a Corporal Class One in the Royal Military Police, serving in Germany and Ireland amongst other countries. He is now the Trust’s Deputy Chief Operating Officer, showing skills gained in service can be transferred to the NHS.
Chesterfield Royal Hospital employs a number of former Service people and reservists; the Trust understands the range of transferable skills these individuals can bring to the NHS. Chief Executive Simon Morritt from the Trust explained: “We’re delighted to have a number of colleagues who have previously served in one way or another and it represents the diversity of both the armed forces and the NHS in terms of the variety of careers and the desire to serve the public. I hope that, by signing this covenant in the presence of some of those colleagues, that we have cemented our commitment to them and underlined our relationship with the armed forces and those who join our ranks in the future.”
John Wilson, the Ministry of Defence’s Regional Employer Engagement Director in the East Midlands helped to organise the signing. He said: “I am delighted that the Trust has signed the Armed Forces Covenant. Through their military training, reservists, and former regular members of the Armed Forces develop a wide range of skills and attributes that are beneficial in a modern working environment; the Chief Executive of this Trust understands this and that a relationship with Defence will be mutually beneficial.”
To find out more about the Armed Forces Covenant visit www.armedforcescovenant.gov.uk
Mike Haywood, Col Adam Fraser-Hitchen, Jennifer Clarke, Simon Morritt and John Wilson
