Supporting armed forces veterans and reservists

NHS veterans aware logo 2024 Our Trust has signed the Armed Forces Covenant - a public pledge of support to the armed forces community - and we were awarded silver for the Employer Recognition Scheme.

This means that patients who are members of the armed forces community are cared for by staff who have received training and education. For example, on the specific physical and mental health needs of veterans, and who can signpost them to other local support.

Being identified as a veteran in your NHS medical notes will also ensure you are able to access specific veterans’ health services, such as those for mental health, hearing loss, limb amputation and wheelchairs.

All veterans are entitled to priority access to NHS care for service-related conditions. However, this is always subject to clinical need and does not mean that you will automatically be treated ahead of others who have a more urgent clinical need. Please ensure you make your GP aware if you feel you may be entitled to this so they can add this to referral documentation. 

We are a member of the Veterans Covenant Hospital Alliance, sharing and driving best practice in NHS care for people who serve or have served in the UK armed forces and their families.

  • We support the health commitments of the Armed Forces Covenant.

  • We are committed to ensuring no disadvantage and giving special consideration where appropriate.

  • We educate and train our staff to help identify and respond to veterans’ needs.

  • We also support the UK armed forces community as an employer.

The Silver award also recognises the support we have in place for staff who are veterans and reservists through our workforce policies and recruitment practices.

We have a number of colleagues who are reservists and may be subject to call up and mobilisation and are entitled to time off work for training, readiness and mobilisation as well as flexibility with leave to ensure they are able to leave when called upon. We also provide support for families of reservists. 

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LGT colleagues leading our Armed Forces work

Dr Jen Berg, Consultant Anaesthetist

Jen is a Consultant Anaesthetist and Medical Officer in the British Army Reserves. She began her military career in 2021, joining 256 Field Hospital—now 256 Multirole Medical Regiment—while completing her anaesthetic registrar training within the NHS. After successfully completing officer training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, she commissioned as a Captain. In 2024, Jen took on a Consultant Anaesthetist role at Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust, where she also serves as the clinical lead for the Veterans Support Network.

Jon Thomson, Deputy General Manager, QEH Medicine

Jon served in the British Army for 13 years.  During his career he completed several operational tours and deployed on exercises around the world.  After leaving the military in 2015 he worked in different sectors, including Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, IT, and working for an Non-Governmental Organisations.  He joined the NHS as an Assistant Service Manager in 2016 via the Step Into Heath Scheme.  He is currently the Deputy General Manager for Unplanned Care at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

Eric Pirozzoli, Deputy CPO

As management lead for the veteran aware network, Eric has led on setting up the Veteran and Reservist network at the Trust and the project to ensure that LGT became accredited as being Veteran Aware by 2024.  The project included reviewing policies and recruitment practices as well as ensuring we have the right support in place for our staff and patients at the Trust including training and signposting information on our internal and external website.  Part of the network is to raise awareness of the work we do, signposting to support what is in place for veterans, reservists and family members whilst also celebrating key events like Remembrance Day in November and Armed Forces Week in June.