A vision of committed, modern and rewarding careers in healthcare

Near neighbours, Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust and The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust both recognise the value Serving personnel, Reservists, Veterans, and Military families can bring to healthcare organisations. Here they discuss the opportunities for former Military personnel. 

Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust is proud to be a signatory of the Armed Forces Covenant, as Staff Engagement & Workforce Training Manager, Karen Bendall says: “Having family and friends that are Veterans and currently Serving members of our Armed Forces, I am very proud that our organisation has signed up to the Armed Forces Covenant. It is a promise to those who Serve or have Served and their families, that they will be treated fairly and welcomed as employees of Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust. 

We are committed to supporting the Armed Forces community and recognise the value Serving personnel, Reservists, Veterans, and Military families can bring to our organisation. We believe their unique and valuable skills are transferable to healthcare and can contribute to Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust’s ongoing success.”

Similarly, The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust (RWT) has also actively supported the Armed Forces communities through the Step into Health programme, and currently employ many valuable colleagues from the Armed Forces Family. 

They too are rightly proud that their work has been recognised with a Defence Employer Recognition Scheme Gold Award having also signed the Armed Forces Covenant in 2020. Additionally, both trusts are part of the Black Country Integrated Care System (ICS) which, in November 2021 was the first ICS to sign up to the Covenant within the West Midland Reserve Forces & Cadets Association’s (RFCA) region. 

Chief People Officer at RWT, Alan Duffell, says: “Having previously had a career in the Royal Air Force, before joining the NHS, I am acutely aware that Armed Forces personnel can bring a vast range of valuable transferable skills and experience into the NHS. These specialist skills and leadership qualities, along with the ability to effectively build and work within teams, can translate into new and rewarding careers within the NHS.”

Commitment
The Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust currently holds the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme Bronze Award, underlining its commitment to supporting the Armed Forces community, but with the stated aim to achieve the next level Silver Award, and with sights set firmly on Gold.

They are also an integrated trust, with the Manor Hospital providing a full range of district general hospital services and community health services for adults and children which are run from more than 60 settings across the borough, including health centres and GP surgeries, while community services also provide support in people’s own homes.

Construction of Walsall’s multi-million pound Urgent and Emergency Care Centre is now entering the final six months of a project and is well on track for an autumn completion date. It also includes reconfiguration of the current Emergency Department footprint, to incorporate improved Ambulatory Emergency Care and Imaging services.

Modern
The Walsall trust has integrated health and social care with the development of seven integrated locality teams. The teams are co-located community, social care staff, and mental health staff who provide a ‘wrap-around’ service to GP practices. In other words, they’re a modern trust engaged in all aspects of community health looking for good quality candidates with great skills to share – hence their interest in attracting Service-leavers and Veterans. 

RWT meanwhile, is one of the largest employers providing acute and community health services in the West Midlands, employing more than 10,000 staff, covering more than 350 different roles.

They provide services through many locations in the West Midlands including, New Cross Hospital, West Park Hospital, Cannock Chase Hospital and within more than 20 community sites and GP practices which have joined the Trust.

Theirs is a vision to be an NHS organisation that continually strives to improve the outcomes and experiences for the communities they serve. They recruit for a huge variety of roles from plumbers, electricians and midwives, to brain surgeons, and are confident that they can find a perfect role for you. 

Rewarding
Likewise, Walsall NHS Healthcare Trust rewards commitment and dedication with a culture of support and respect. They have a dedicated staff health and wellbeing team who offer free and confidential support, including advice on general emotional wellbeing, stress management, resilience, and work life balance, as well as mindfulness sessions as part of their mental health awareness. As part of this service, the Haven acts as a place for staff to relax and be mindful of what is going on at that moment in time.

Alongside this, many departments also offer family-friendly hours for staff with children or obligations as carers, and all members have the option to join nationally recognised trade union, Unison, to assist in any queries they may have surrounding employment rights and conditions. 

We are an inclusive employer and welcome applicants from all communities to join our diverse workforce. We also have a wide range of apprenticeship and development opportunities available.

Vision
Associate Chief Technology Officer at The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, Nick Bruce, who spent 10 years in the RAF as an air traffic controller, sums up nicely, saying: “The closest I’ve ever felt to the camaraderie shared within the Armed Forces is that extraordinary sense of belonging now working within the National Health Service. It’s extremely rewarding with massive job satisfaction that nurtures both enthusiasm and energy to get the best out of people and make a real difference.  In addition, it’s that acknowledgement that the NHS is a precious resource, one that we will all use at some stage and a vital resource for all our family. Therefore, the drive, determination and commitment to contribute to the best of our ability is much more evident, as we all have that vested interest in making the NHS the best healthcare service in the world!”