South Central Ambulance Service re-signs Armed Forces Covenant

SCAS was the first ambulance trust to sign the coveant in 2014, with a formal re-signing taking place at the trust’s North Harbour Resource Centre in Portsmouth on Wednesday, July 5.

Signatories to the latest commitment were Dr John Black, medical director of SCAS and retired lieutenant colonel, and Surgeon Commodore Stuart Collett CBE KHP.

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 By signing the covenant, organisations give a formal commitment to ensure that members of the armed forces community are never disadvantaged through service life.

Visitors at military insight day are shown around an emergency ambulance (Image: South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust)Serving personnel, veterans and their families can sometimes be affected by the frequent house moves, separation from loved ones and support networks, and unfamiliarity with civilian life meaning they can find themselves on the back foot when accessing public goods and services, such as healthcare.

Dr Black said: “It was a privilege to once again sign the Armed Forces Covenant on behalf of SCAS as a demonstration of our support to serving personnel, veterans, reservists and their families.

“As well as taking into account the needs of the armed forces community in the development of our services and policies, I am also delighted that we continue to offer veterans and reservists a range of employment opportunities within SCAS.”

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The covenant was also signed by the Career Transition Partnership (CTP), which has been the official provider of resettlement support for leavers from the Armed Forces for more than 20 years.

At the event, SCAS opened its doors to serving members of the armed forces community as well as recent leavers, who were able to hear about the career opportunities in the emergency, NHS 111, patient transport and support services that SCAS provides. They were also able to speak to a number of military veterans who had already made the transition into SCAS and were enjoying successful second careers.

Paramedic Team Leader and military veteran Ross Smith talks to visitors at the military insight day (Image: South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust)Laura Farrow, recruitment manager and military champion at SCAS, said: “Thank you to everyone who took the time to visit and from the conversations I had with attendees, people left with a deeper understanding about the services we provide and were excited about the opportunities we can offer them after they have finished their military service.”