Hucknall health centre workers honoured as first in UK to be awarded Veteran-Aware status

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Health workers at Whyburn Medical Practice and across Hucknall have been honoured for being part of the first primary care independent provider in England to be accredited by the Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance as Veteran-Aware.

Nottinghamshire’s Primary Integrated Community Services is the provider for Whyburn Medical Practice and also provides specialist and community services on behalf of the NHS to residents across the area.

It is the first independent health provider in the midlands to be honoured with Veteran-Aware status.

The team at Whyburn has also just achieved Veteran-Friendly accreditation following completion of a rigours scheme that enables practices across the UK to deliver the best possible care and treatment for residents who have served in the armed forces.

Member of Nottinghamshire PICS with veterans at the awards event where the care provider was honoured as Veteran-Aware

The East Midlands has the third highest population of veterans in the country with at least 30,000 people in the armed forces community.

The alliance praised the quality of care and workplace support provided by PICS and the ‘amazing staff who looked after veterans.

PICS staff received the award from the Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance during a special ceremony at Mansfield’s Meden Medical Centre.

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Lieutenant Colonel (retired) Guy Benson, VCHA team leader, said the quality of care and workplace support provided by PICS had “significantly improved” the health and wellbeing of Nottinghamshire’s Veterans.

Tony Armstrong, VCHA’s widening scope (projects) lead, applauded staff for “building a 360-support network for the local veteran and armed forces community through collaboration with local partners, community initiatives and GP services”.

He also recognised Whyburn Medical Practice and the staff who work there for recently achieving the Veteran-Aware accreditation from the Royal College of General Practitioners, as well as everyone at PICS for providing excellent systems for finding veterans and members of the armed forces community.

He said: “The East Midlands has the third highest population of veterans and 30,000 people in Nottinghamshire have some connection to the UK’s armed forces, so the scale of the need for personalised primary care services is clear.

“PICS works closely with patients in the community and has a well-earned reputation for providing quality, evidence-based and patient-centric health and wellbeing care.”