A dream that’s become reality – a Veteran journey at RJAH

In 2013, Lieutenant Colonel Carl Meyer had a dream. The orthopaedic consultant felt Veterans were not getting the healthcare they deserved – and he decided to do something about it.

Lt Col Meyer was at the time, a Serving Army surgeon, who also had an NHS contract with The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital (RJAH) – one of just three specialist orthopaedic hospitals in the UK, which is based in Oswestry, Shropshire.

With the backing of management at RJAH, he established the Veterans’ Orthopaedic Service. The simple idea was that Veterans from across the country could come to Oswestry to be treated for musculoskeletal problems, with clinical staff who understand the Military and their unique needs.

In the decade since then, the service has seen hundreds of patients and has evolved into the Headley Court Veterans’ Orthopaedic Centre in its own dedicated £6 million building that opened late last year.

RJAH is now firmly established as an NHS exemplar for Veterans – not just for patients, but for staff too.

Gold standard
The Trust was one of the first in the country to sign up to the Armed Forces Covenant and to achieve Veteran Aware status. It has also secured the prestigious Gold Award in the Ministry of Defence’s Employer Recognition Scheme. It has now also established a Veterans’ staff network and is keen to actively recruit Military leavers to its core workforce.

The Trust’s Chief Executive, Stacey Keegan, was recently presented with the Commanding Officer’s Coin by Colonel Clare Dutton MBE, CO of 202 (Midlands) Field Hospital, in recognition of her and the hospital’s efforts to support Veterans and the Armed Forces community.

Stacey said: “We are proud of the work we have done in this area and delighted that we have more and more people with an Armed Forces background coming to work as part of our teams – not just in the Veterans’ Centre but right across the hospital.

“We know that they bring unique perspectives and exceptional skillsets that are of huge value to our patients and to all of our people.

It’s something we want to see continue. RJAH is a great choice for anyone coming out of the Forces and looking for a rewarding second career in the NHS, and Shropshire is a beautiful place to live – ideal, whether you enjoy an outdoors lifestyle or are looking for somewhere to raise a family.”

Heritage
Lt Col Meyer, who is now clinical lead for the Veterans’ Orthopaedic Centre and continues his Military career as an Army Reservist, said: “RJAH has links to the Military which go right back to its co-founder, Sir Robert Jones, who is regarded as the father of orthopaedic surgery in this country, and had a distinguished Military career that saw him rise to the rank of Major General.

I am proud that we are honouring that history and tradition through the Veterans’ Orthopaedic Centre. We have big ambitions for developing the service, so this is an exciting time to be joining us on that journey.”

For more information on working at RJAH, visit: www.rjah.nhs.uk/work-with-us