Prince's approval of pilot

Prince William met the staff on a recent visit to the Royal Society of Medicine in London, to hear more about military employment programme ‘Step into Health,’ prior to its national public launch.

The Sheffield pilot has attracted interest from a large number of military veterans, with six dedicated career information days for members of the armed forces community taking place since the pilot launched last month, and around 30 work experience placements being supported in a breadth of roles, including nursing, radiography, podiatry, strategy and operations, and clinical support workers.

Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of five NHS Trusts across the country to have been involved in piloting the programme, which was set up in 2014 by the NHS in conjunction with The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Walking With The Wounded, and aims to give ex-servicemen and women the opportunities to bring their talents and skills to the NHS.

Mark Gwilliam, director of human resources, who was among the team that met with Prince William in London, said: “Armed forces personnel have a wealth of skills and experience which is hugely valuable to the NHS. We are passionate about creating opportunities for each individual to make the most of their potential.”

Tim Harris MBE, a former Lieutenant Colonel who now works at the Trust in the Operating Services, Critical Care and Anaesthesia Directorate - added: “Step Into Health is an incredible initiative. The proud values of Sheffield Teaching Hospitals are very closely aligned to those of the British Army and I often find myself admiring the staff there who have a very familiar ethos of service which reminds me in many ways of the military culture.”

Visit militarystepintohealth.nhs.uk for more details.