NHS Ayrshire and Arran
Source: gov.uk (2025-11-10)

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 NHS Ayrshire and Arran 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 NHS Ayrshire and Arran 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:

We also pledge the following:

1 We, NHS Ayrshire & Arran, will endeavour to uphold the key principles of the Armed Forces Covenant: Members of the Armed Forces Community should not face disadvantages arising from their service in the provision of public and commercial services. In some circumstances special provision may be justified, especially for those who have given the most, such as the injured or bereaved. Section 2: Demonstrating our Commitment 2.1 We recognise the contribution that Service personnel, reservists, veterans, the cadet movement and military families make to our organisation, our community and to the country. We will seek to uphold the principles of the Armed Forces Covenant by: Promoting the Armed Forces: promoting that we are an Armed Forces friendly organisation to our workforce, our patients and service-users, suppliers, contractors and wider public. Employment support to members of the Armed Forces Community: supporting the recruitment of service leavers, veterans, spouses/partners and dependants, cadets and cadet force adult volunteers as an important element of our workforce and recruitment strategies in partnership with the NHS Scotland Armed Forces Talent Programme. Veterans: supporting the employment of veterans, recognising the value of the knowledge, skills and experience they bring to our workforce through our recruitment and selection processes. Service Spouses and Partners: supporting the employment of spouses and partners and providing flexibility in granting leave for spouses and partners before, during and after a spouse/partner deployment. Reserves: supporting our employees who are members of the Reserve Forces; granting them additional paid/unpaid leave for annual Reserve Forces training; supporting mobilisation and deployment; encouraging colleagues to become Reservists. Cadets: recognising and promoting the benefits of employing cadets/ ex-cadets within our workforce and working, in partnership with the NHS Scotland Armed Forces Talent Programme, to actively engage local cadet units in careers insight and employment initiatives. National events: supporting Armed Forces Day, Reserves Day and Remembrance activities Health in addition to the above we will ensure we meet our statutory obligations under the Armed Forces Covenant Legal Duty 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 Armed Forces Community and our users on how we are doing.

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.