OUH renews Veteran Aware status following successful one‑year review

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (OUH) has successfully passed its one‑year review as a Veteran Aware Trust, reaffirming the organisation’s ongoing commitment to improving care and access for the Armed Forces community.

Over the past year, OUH has strengthened how veterans, serving personnel, and their families are identified and supported across its hospitals. There has been an increase in awareness across clinical and non‑clinical teams, ensuring that the Armed Forces community is not disadvantaged when accessing care.

In a formal letter to the Trust, General Lord Dannatt, Patron of the Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance (VCHA), and Professor Tim Briggs CBE, National Lead for the VCHA, praised OUH’s achievements:

"It is our pleasure to congratulate OUH on your recently approved One Year Review as a Veteran Aware Trust. 

"Following the Trust's reaccreditation awarded in October 2024, it is evident there has been significant work undertaken by those responsible for this agenda in your organisation, and the submission shows commitment to the military community with strong evidence of continuous improvement and increased awareness of the healthcare needs of the Armed Forces community across wider teams and departments. 

"We thank you for your hard work demonstrating the NHS's commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant and look forward to following your continued progress."

Lisa Glynn, Director of Clinical Services at OUH, said:

"We are very pleased that the VCHA has endorsed our first‑year review. Over the past year, we have made real progress in increasing awareness of the needs of our Armed Forces community, from enhancing staff training to strengthening our commitments to both current and former service personnel and their families.

"With the support of colleagues, we have also formally established the Armed Forces Working Group, which will play a key role in driving continuous improvement for patients, relatives and staff who are members of the Armed Forces community. OUH will now continue its work towards the three‑year reaccreditation milestone, further embedding the improvements that ensure veterans, serving personnel, and their families receive the high‑quality, equitable care they deserve."

About the accreditation

Veteran Aware accreditation, delivered by the Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance (VCHA), ensures NHS organisations uphold the principles of the Armed Forces Covenant and commit to improving care for the military community. The mandatory one‑year review confirms that accredited trusts are embedding key improvements, such as identifying veterans and appointing Armed Forces champions, and prepares organisations for full reaccreditation in year three.