Health trust backs project to help veterans transition from military to civilian life

Solent NHS Trust is part of the Forces4Change project which will see them give former armed forces personnel support on how they can join the organisation from writing CVs to helping them apply their military skills to the NHS.

It will also see staff help veterans in other aspects of their lives.

Bethany Carter, from Waterlooville, is an infection specialist nurse at Solent. She transferred from the Royal Navy in 2016 and welcomed Solent’s new scheme.

She said: ‘It is great Solent is recognising ex-military and the skills and knowledge they can transfer to the NHS.

‘There are a wide variety of jobs available and it isn’t just medical.

‘I am really proud to be part of an organisation that wants to help veterans and take this scheme forward.’

Some of Solent’s trust board have a military background including David Noyes, a chief operating officer, who served in the Royal Navy for 28 years.

He said: ‘It is fantastic that Solent is making this great step to help the ex-military community.

‘We know veterans have the talent that we want in the NHS. We want these sort of people and if we can help them, whether that ends in a job with us or elsewhere, then that’s a great thing.’

Sarah Austin, a chief operating officer, worked with Tim Jones, the founder of ExForcesNet, to get the scheme rolled out.

She said it was a fantastic moment to sign the charter, officially launching the project.

‘We want to make sure we are doing everything we can to help veterans,’ she said.

‘We care about those individuals and want to help them make that transition.

‘This is the start of our journey.’