Supporting the Armed Forces community

The NHS employs many staff from across the Armed Forces community. We support employers to ensure these military colleagues are able to thrive.

The Armed Forces community includes regular personnel, reservists, veterans, adult cadet force volunteers and families of regular personnel, reservists and veterans.

The values held by members of the Armed Forces community closely align to the NHS ways of working and values, with particular emphasis on service, commitment and respect.

Support for your Armed Forces agenda

Webinar

Armed Forces reservists Community Connect - 7 February 2023

Our regular online forum for those managing, championing or supporting Armed Forces reservists in the NHS.

7 February 2023 14:00 - 15:30 GMT

Article

Creating an Armed Forces policy

An overview of how to create an Armed Forces policy and what it should include.

1 September 2020

News

Military March 2023

Join us in celebrating your successes and raising awareness of the benefits brought to the NHS by the Armed Forces community.

25 January 2023

Article

NHS Employers Armed Forces networks

Connect with our Armed Forces team and with fellow employers at our regular engagement and networking sessions.

9 May 2023

View all resources

Armed Forces reservists toolkit

Your bite-sized guide to understanding and supporting Armed Forces reservists in your NHS workforce.

Access the toolkit

Latest blogs and case studies

NHS staff and Armed Forces personnel standing with a banner outside a hospital.

Case Study

Trust sets the pace on gold-standard military support

Milton Keynes University Hospital raced to the Defence silver award for its work supporting the Armed Forces, with sights now firmly set on gold.

6 January 2023

Portsdown Group Practice – Defence ERS award – Armed Forces

Case Study

Recognising the Armed Forces in a primary care setting

A primary care provider in Portsmouth is making good on its pledge to support the local Armed Forces community while championing military employees.

20 December 2022

Army service personnel standing with a banner and stand at an Armed Forces event.

Case Study

Achieving Defence gold standard across newly merged trust

Learn how a trust merger initiated a gold-standard approach to supporting the Armed Forces across the entire workforce.

30 September 2022

This image features a female Army Reservist in Uniform posting in front of a brick background.

Blog post

Supporting Armed Forces reservists to benefit your trust

Hear how Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust embraces the military commitments of its reservist staff.

21 June 2022

Step into Health

The Step into Health programme works to actively promote the NHS as an ideal employer to members of the Armed Forces community.

Step into Health

Pledge your organisation and support the Armed Forces community to gain employment in the NHS.

News

Step into Health Employer Engagement Surgeries

Join Step into Health's regular engagement event for health and care employers.

29 June 2022

Join the Armed Forces mailing list

Receive regular updates on our work with the Armed Forces community, hear about latest resources and upcoming events, and learn how you and your organisation can get involved.