Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust has received the Silver Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) award from the Ministry of Defence. The award recognises how the trust supports the armed forces community. 

The Defence ERS rewards employers have signed the Armed Forces Covenant at three levels: bronze, silver and gold. Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust signed the Armed Forces Covenant in December 2021, and achieved the bronze award in 2022; it is now working towards the Gold ERS award. 

Chief medical officer Adrian Flynn is the trust's armed forces network executive sponsor: “The achievement of the silver award is a positive step forward for the trust. We are working hard to always offer prompt access to the right treatment and support to people from the armed forces.

"Through our involvement with the scheme, we have made positive changes to how we recruit. We now offer assessment days and guarantee interviews for candidates from the armed forces who meet a role's core criteria.

“We have improved links with reserve and cadet units, and offer paid leave for training. I hope this helps us retain colleagues with past or present links to the armed forces, and allows us to benefit from the wealth of experience and expertise they bring to the NHS.”

The trust employs around 70 people connected to the armed forces, including veterans, reservists, volunteers and family members. 

Across the trust, both Camborne/Redruth and Helston community hospitals display Veteran Aware plaques to demonstrate their support for the armed forces community, while Falmouth and Newquay community hospitals are working towards accreditation.