https://www.gosh.nhs.uk/about-us/who-we-are/armed-forces/

Armed Forces

GOSH is an Armed Forces friendly organisation providing bespoke wellbeing support to members of the Armed Forces community.

Our commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant

We recognise the value serving personnel, reservists, veterans and military families bring to our borough and communities. We will seek to uphold the principles of the Armed Forces Covenant, by promoting the fact that we are an armed forces-friendly organisation, by:

recruitment processes which recognise the skills which Armed Forces veterans and service leavers bring
promoting national Armed Forces week/day and Reserves Day through our communication channels
running events and programmes in cooperation with Armed Forces career transition organisations (such as Step into Health) which actively support and enable employment opportunities for people form the Armed Forces community
use of the Covenant and Employer Recognition scheme (ERS) logos in our communications and marketing, wherever possible
Ten days paid leave for those in the Reserve forces or Cadet Force Adult volunteers, so they can attend annual camps

What it means to have signed the Covenant

By signing the Armed Forces Covenant, we're making a public commitment to ensuring the Armed Forces community is not disadvantaged as a result of their or a family member’s service. We clearly recognise the incredible sacrifices made by service personnel and their families to keep our country safe, and it is only right that we do our utmost to support them and their children both during and after their time in uniform.

The Armed Forces Covenant recognises the value, acknowledges the impact and improves our understanding the importance of the contribution of what our soldiers, veterans and their families have experienced - and continue to experience - regularly. It enables us to provide opportunities to all members, whilst demonstrating our continued commitment to the community amongst our workforce, patients and their families.

Here are just some of the steps we've taken since signing the Covenant

Guaranteed Interview Scheme for members of the Armed Forces Community

To demonstrate our commitment and support to the armed forces community, we pledge to guarantee an interview to any eligible job applicant who meets the minimum criteria for the role they are applying for.

We have now received silver accreditation from the Ministry of Defence Employer Recognition Scheme

We are pleased to announce that Great Ormond Street Hospital is now an accredited holder of the Ministry of Defence, Employer Recognition Scheme Silver Award. This recognises our commitment and support to our armed forces communities as we continue our journey of being a forces-friendly organisation.

Alison Taberner-Stokes, Head of Nursing and Patient Experience for our Brain directorate, shares a few words on what this means for Great Ormond Street Hospital:

"What an amazing achievement this is; we are delighted to announce that GOSH has been awarded the silver accreditation of the Armed Forces Covenant. This esteemed recognition underscores our unwavering commitment to supporting the Armed Forces community. Following on from the success of our inaugural celebrations for Armed Forces Day, receiving this recognition highlights our ongoing efforts to provide valuable opportunities and support to veterans, reservists, and their families. We are immensely proud of this achievement and are committed to continuing our efforts to uphold the values and objectives of the Armed Forces Covenant. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone involved in making this possible. Together, we will continue to support those who serve and have served.”