NHS Scotland Military Veteran and Service Leaver Programme: FOI release

Information requested

1. What is the budget for the Military Veteran and Service Leaver Programme?
2. What is the size of the team dedicated to the Military Veteran and Service Leaver Programme? Please include details of roles and responsibilities.
3. How many Veterans and Service Leavers has the programme recruited into the NHS?
4. What is the process for a Veteran and/or Service Leaver to access the programme?
5. How will the programme lead to actual recruitment into the NHS?

Response

What is the budget for the Military Veteran and Service Leaver Programme?

The Scottish Government has committed £330,000 to NHS Education for Scotland (NES) to fund the re-named Military Access Programme in 2023/24 and funds have been secured for each of the following three financial years 2024-2027. As we move through next year, the Scottish Government will work with the Head of Programme in NES to refine the breakdown of the potential spend to ensure that the return on investment is demonstrating good value for money and achieving the programme’s objectives.

What is the size of the team dedicated to the Military Veteran and Service Leaver Programme? Please include details of roles and responsibilities.

The structure of the Military Access Programme is being designed and agreed now. The Head of Programme (NHS Agenda for Change Band 8c) will be supported by two Specialist Leads (Band 7), a Project Support Officer (Band 5) and a Business Support role (Band 4 – this role to be confirmed). There has purposely been a deliberate and measured approach to ensuring the Head of Programme recruits the right team commensurate with the delivery of the objectives of the programme, which were reviewed and revised by the new Head of Programme upon his recruitment. As NES is yet to advertise these posts, the roles and responsibilities will not be shared at this time.

How many Veterans and Service Leavers has the programme recruited into the NHS?

The assessment of how many people have joined the NHS as a result of the programme is too early to measure; the programme is in a build phase and will formally launch early in the New Year. The Head of Programme will present figures annually to the Scottish Government on how many members of the military family have joined the NHS as a result of the programme (and these figures will be published).

What is the process for a Veteran and/or Service Leaver to access the programme?

The design and implementation of the programme sits with NES and the Head of Programme. The programme is in a build phase and will formally launch early in the New Year.

How will the programme lead to actual recruitment into the NHS?

The aim is to move towards a model where the programme assists the NHS Boards in recruiting and nurturing the right people who may have some of the skills needed but who bring considerable knowledge and experience, underpinned by the values shared across the Armed Forces and the NHS. The programme will work with a range of partners to deliver pathways for the military community to: gain access to both clinical and non-clinical roles; deliver access to existing apprenticeship schemes; deliver veteran specific upskilling and insight courses; enhance the focus on Armed Forces dependants’ recruitment; and designing and delivering a path by which those from the Armed Forces with a medical qualification (or role) can transition seamlessly into the NHS.

The programme will enhance the “attract and recruit” function already used by NHS Scotland to reach specific audiences - advertising specific roles, delivering a specific Armed Forces landing page on the NHS Scotland Careers website, providing advice, support and mentoring of applicants and supporting a reinvigorated Armed Forces network.

I trust this response answers the questions you posed. The programme remains in a build phase and more details will be shared publicly in the coming months to update and inform interested parties. For general queries on the programme as it develops, I would invite you to contact the Head of Programme, Duncan Mackinnon – email: duncan.mackinnon@nhs.scot.

About FOI

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