Trust supports Armed Forces Day

Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust (NDHT) is proud to support Armed Forces Day (25 June). The day is a chance to show support for the British Armed Forces community.

Staff at the Trust have been getting involved with the national #SaluteOurForces campaign, by sharing pictures of themselves saluting the armed forces on social media. The best will be featured on the Trust website. The Trust is also ‘flying’ the British flag on posters and TV screens as a mark of respect for our troops.

The Trust has already been recognised nationally for its commitment to supporting the armed forces, receiving a bronze award from the Ministry of Defence under the Armed Forces Covenant Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) in May this year.

Dr Alison Diamond, Trust chief executive, said: “We are honoured to help those people who have made sacrifices on behalf of the nation to receive the recognition and support they deserve, both in the workplace and the wider community.

“We are proud of our commitment to supporting the armed forces and Armed Forces Day is a great way to involve our staff in this.”

Part of this commitment involves supporting staff who want to members of the reserve forces.

Leigh Skelton, service manager for continuing healthcare for the Trust, has been a reservist since 1998. Leigh said: “It is a breath of fresh air using my nursing background in a way that is completely different to the day job.”

As a reservist, Leigh is a Major with the Queen Alexandra Royal Nursing Corp, working with 243 (The Wessex) Field Hospital. Leigh specialises in tropical medicine and infectious disease.

Leigh’s time as a reservist has taken him all over the world, with deployment as far afield as Kenya, and more recently Sierra Leone, where he helped head up the army’s response to the Ebola virus.

Leigh added: “I have spent time in some very deprived areas and I hope the work I have done as a reservist has helped change the lives of many people for the better.” 

To find out more about Armed Forces Day, please visit www.armedforcesday.org.uk