NHS: Reserve Forces

Question

The Department is working closely with the Ministry of Defence and NHS Employers to support National Health Service trusts whose staff volunteer, or wish volunteer, in the reserve forces.

We ensure NHS employers:

- are aware of and understand their responsibilities to support staff who volunteer in the Reserve Forces;

- are aware of the resources available to managers, helping them to utilise reservist experience within their teams;

- are aware of guidance and support available through Defence Relationship Management; and

- are aware of the recognition available to them via the Armed Forces Covenant and Employer Recognition Scheme – a scheme that incorporates three levels of award for employers supporting reservists within their organisations.

Our future plans to support NHS employers includes:

- increasing engagement with NHS trusts and their workforce, promoting the Employer Recognition scheme and encouraging additional take up of the Armed Forced Covenant;

- supporting employers through a dedicated NHS Reserve Forces Champions scheme, looking to increase levels of support across England, providing them with a step-by-step guide to support reservists and a poster to show their champions contact details in their work place;

- a suite of scenario-based guides for line managers, highlighting the key stages a reservist may go through in their career from joining the Reserve Forces to returning from deployment; and

- working in partnership with Health Education England to develop an awareness raising resource that can be utilised at induction, in team briefing or through individual learning. These resources will be released in March 2017 as part of our annual Military March campaign.