Supporting our Armed Services Personnel and Veterans

Richard Bateman

Consultant in Anaesthesia and Critical Care at UHBW and Surgeon Commander in the Royal Naval Reserves

I am Richard Bateman and I am a Consultant for UHBW in Anaesthesia and Critical Care and a Surgeon Commander in the Royal Naval Reserves.

UHBW is fully supportive of my career as a Royal Navy Reservist – a role that I undertake alongside my NHS duties. They provide two weeks of paid Reservist leave per year and have signed the Armed Forces Covenant. I am fortunate to work in a supportive department that will allow a degree of flexibility in planning my NHS workload around my Reservist duties.

Skills that I have gained from my time as a Reservist include leadership experience and exposure to different ways of working. This was of particular relevance when managing my department during the Pandemic. I believe that my time in the military has made me more resilient and encourages a ‘can do’ attitude which I would like to pass on. The variety of work that Reservist service provides keeps me refreshed in my NHS role.

Carl Newbold

Healthcare Support Worker at UHBW, previously Infantry Soldier in the British Army

I am Carl Newbold and I currently work as a Healthcare Support Worker and will embarking on my Trainee Nursing Associate training in March.  Previously I was an infantry soldier in the British Army.

Whilst in the British Army I did two tours of duty - Gulf War 1 and Northern Ireland. I was also a trained drummer and bugler and undertook a battlefield medical course. The good thing about ex soldiers is they are highly disciplined and that counts for everything in nursing and working on a busy acute ward.  What attracted me to UHBW was that it’s a great trust to educate and train staff towards their goals.  To now be able to be help the Trust develop its support for the armed forces is a great honour. I was diagnosed with PTSD following my armed forces service and working in the trust gives me a purpose as helping others is a great privilege.

I have only worked for the Trust since April 2023 so I am still finding out what support the Trust provides to the armed forces, however, I am delighted that the Trust has ‘Veteran Aware’ accreditation.  I am looking forward to being a Veteran Champion and sitting on the Trusts new Armed Forces Steering Group as I have lots of good ideas to help improve the experience for veterans and other arms of the British armed forces.

Sophie Rae

Senior Booking Coordinator at UHBW and Cadet Force Adult Volunteer within the Bristol Army Cadet Force

I am Sophie Rae and I work as a Senior Booking Coordinator in the Endoscopy team.  I am also a Cadet Force Adult Volunteer (CFAV) within the Bristol Army Cadet Force.

My current role within the Army Cadet Force as a Detachment Commander has helped me to learn and gain management skills, as I will deal with administration within the unit and manage a team of adult instructors which will include task delegation.  This has helped me gain additional skills when managing my team within the Trust.  My armed forces role has also developed my communication skills which has helped me in my role with the Trust as I have to liaise on a day to day basis with patients and staff across the organisation.

I feel the UHBW are only now becoming aware of the Army Cadet Force and what a CFAV does within the Cadet World and the benefits this can bring to an employer.  In my CFAV role I need to attend training courses to help me progress and have had to use my personal leave allowance.  I am really pleased to hear that CFAV’s will now be included under the Trust’s new Armed Forces Policy which will support me in this role.  I feel when people hear what I do as a CFAV, they are always surprised at how much I do, especially to support young people within our community.

Janet Ellis

Employee Relations Case Manager at UHBW and previously part of the Adjutant Generals Corps (Staff and Personnel Support) in the Army

What is your current role with UHBW and what was your role in the armed forces?

I was introduced to the Trust via Step Into Health which is an NHS Employers initiative.  Through Step into Health, members of the Armed Forces community can connect to NHS organisations  to  set up training opportunities, clinical and general work placements, insight days and receive application support. The programme provides a dedicated pathway into a career in the NHS.

My current role within UHBW is as an Employee Relations Case Manager working alongside HR Services. This is quite a unique role as it’s one they’ve not had before, I was brought in specifically to assist with the case load here at the trust. So in this role I will be working collaboratively with the HR Specialist, HR Advisors and the HRBPs to achieve a shared goal.

I have had various different roles within my service in the Army.  As part of the Adjutant Generals Corps (Staff and Personnel Support) (AGC(SPS) for short, we specialised in all things HR.  This role played a vital part in the Army as we are like the main hub within a unit/organisation, we carry out 90% of the HR task within an establishment.  From pay & personnel administration, people management, absence management, AWOL, discipline, service complaints, bullying and harassment to name a few. We also cover non-specialised role as part of our job description such as Information management, public affairs etc.

The job that is most similar to what I do now is called Staff Support Assistant (SSA), I was the subject matter expert dealing with discipline, grievances, compliance, absent management and adherence to policy and procedures. So been placed in this role as Employee Relations Case Manager I’m able to utilise my knowledge and expertise that I gained previously from having done something similar.

What do you think your role in the Armed Forces brings to your role with the Trust?

As someone who served in the Army for a considerable amount of time I have a wide range of human resource experience and transferable skills gained from delivering over 20 years of client-focussed HR solutions. Having worked within a demanding and complex environment it has provided me with the experience and strength to match the requirements of my role here. My service from the Army brings resilience, discipline, adaptability, enthusiasm, team work, leadership. always maintaining core values and ethos.

What support does UHBW give to veterans of the armed forces?

UHBW reached out to me through the Step Into Health initiative and I am delighted to bring all of my skills and experience as an armed forces veteran to the Trust.  I look forward to supporting the Trusts work on the armed forces agenda and finding out more about the support we offer.