Patient Care Locally
We, the undersigned, commit to honour the Armed Forces Covenant and support the Armed Forces Community. We recognise the value Serving Personnel, both Regular and Reservists, Veterans and military families contribute to our business and our country.
The Armed Forces Covenant
An enduring covenant between the people of the United Kingdom, Her Majesty’s Government and all those who serve or have served in the Armed Forces of the Crown and their families
The first duty of Government is the defence of the realm. Our Armed Forces fulfil that responsibility on behalf of the Government, sacrificing some civilian freedoms, facing danger and, sometimes, suffering serious injury or death as a result of their duty. Families also play a vital role in supporting the operational effectiveness of our Armed Forces. In return, the whole nation has a moral obligation to the members of the Naval Service, the Army and the Royal Air Force, together with their families. They deserve our respect and support, and fair treatment.
Those who serve in the Armed Forces, whether Regular or Reserve, those who have served in the past, and their families, should face no disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public and commercial services. Special consideration is appropriate in some cases, especially for those who have given most such as the injured and the bereaved.
This obligation involves the whole of society: it includes voluntary and charitable bodies, private organisations, and the actions of individuals in supporting the Armed Forces. Recognising those who have performed military duty unites the country and demonstrates the value of their contribution. This has no greater expression than in upholding this Covenant.
Section 1: Principles of the Armed Forces Corporate Covenant
1.1 We Patient Care Locally will endeavour in our business dealings to uphold the key principles of the Armed Forces Covenant, which are:
- no member of the Armed Forces Community should face disadvantage in the provision of public and commercial services compared to any other citizen;
- and in some circumstances that special treatment may be appropriate especially for the injured or bereaved.
Section 2: Demonstrating our commitment
2.1 Patient Care Locally recognises the value serving personnel, reservists, veterans and military families bring to our business. We will seek to uphold the principles of the Armed Forces Covenant, by pledging to the following:
- Armed Forces Friendly
- UK Service Veterans And Leavers
- UK Reservists
- Armed Forces Day
- Reserve Forces Day
- Armed Forces Charities
We also pledge the following:
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Including Armed Forces-friendly policies in our HR documentation (e.g., On BreatheHR).
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Appointing a Covenant Champion within our HR function to monitor our commitments.
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Including Armed Forces community awareness in staff inductions and materials.
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We will ensure the Armed Forces Community has fair access to our services and will accommodate changes caused by deployment or relocation where possible.
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Signposting veterans and families to dedicated health services
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Supporting or hosting outreach clinics tailored to veteran needs (e.g. mental health, vaccinations).
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We will support and participate in local remembrance and Armed Forces community events where possible, and promote recognition of the Armed Forces in our public communications.
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Any additional commitment the organisation wishes to make.
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Including Covenant pledges in our annual review processes.
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Reporting progress internally and through our website.
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Welcoming feedback from the Armed Forces Community on how we can continue to improve our support.
2.2 We will publicise these commitments through our literature and/or on our website, setting out how we will seek to honour them and inviting feedback from the Service community and our customers on how we are doing.