Eastwood health service honoured for ‘360 support network’ for veterans

On Thursday, January 26, the town’s Primary Integrated Community Services (PICS) became the first primary care employer in England and the first independent health provider in the Midlands to be honoured with ‘Veteran-Aware’ status.

PICS started out in Eastwood nine years ago and now provides health and wellbeing services across Nottinghamshire.

Staff received the award from the Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance (VCHA) during a special ceremony at the end of last month.

VCHA team leader, Lieutenant Colonel (retired) Guy Benson, said the quality of care and workplace support provided by PICS had ‘significantly improved’ the health and wellbeing of Nottinghamshire’s veterans.

Staff were also praised for “building a 360-support network for the local veteran and Armed Forces community through collaboration with local partners, community initiatives and GP services”.

Tony Armstrong, the VCHA’s projects lead, said: “The East Midlands has the third highest population of veterans and 30,000 people in Nottinghamshire have some connection to the UK’s armed forces, so the scale of the need for personalised primary care services is clear.

“PICS works closely with patients in the community and has a well-earned reputation for providing quality, evidence-based and patient centric health and wellbeing care.”

Dr Kelvin Lim, medical director of PICS and a GP in Eastwood said the service is “thrilled” by the recognition.

He said: “We have an unbreakable commitment to the Armed Forces community at PICS.

“We’re thrilled to be the first primary care provider in England to achieve Veteran-Aware accreditation.

“Thank you to the VCHA for their support, and to local residents for celebrating PICS staff, who work very hard to provide the best possible care and treatment for our valued community.”