Supporting the UK Armed Forces
In an area with strong military connections – the highest proportion of UK armed forces veterans are based in the South West region and over 17,000 personnel are stationed in Wiltshire – Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Care Board is proud to be a ‘forces friendly’ organisation and have introduced a range of initiatives aimed at supporting military personnel and their families.
Armed Forces Week
We’re proud to support Armed Forces Week, when the nation unites to honour the selfless service of the entire Armed Forces community. We are proud to be a ‘forces friendly’ organisation, our employees are our greatest assets.
Dee Runciman – Reservist
Civvy Role: BSW ICB Armed Forces Programme Manager
Dee serves as the Armed Forces Programme Manager for BSW ICB, leading the development and delivery of Armed Forces–inclusive health strategies and driving system-wide efforts to embed and uphold the Armed Forces Covenant across our region.
Military Role: RAF Reservist Mover
For the past 12 years, Dee has been a proud RAF Reservist Mover.
This dynamic role involves the strategic coordination and execution of personnel and equipment movements across domestic and international locations. Dee is required to precisely plan, manage logistics and adapt and operate effectively under pressure. She will ‘get stuck in’, often in time-critical and high-security environments.
Combining frontline military logistics experience with system-level leadership in health and care, Dee has a unique insight and credibility in her roles. Her skills include operational planning and coordination, decisive leadership under pressure, strong communication and stakeholder engagement and a deep commitment to public service and inclusion.
Dawn Shore – Veteran
Military Role: Royal Air Force Squadron Personal Administration and Intelligence Clerk
Civvy Role: BSW ICB Triage and Assessment Physiotherapist
Dawn brings a wealth of transferrable skills and experiences from her time in the military, which support her role in the NHS.
“The skills that I feel the forces instilled in me such discipline, punctuality, the ability to work under pressure and as part of a wider team, communicating effectively with outside agencies and the ability to organise well, have helped enormously with my second career as Physiotherapist with first the Great Western Hospital and now the ICB.” – Dawn Shore
Richard Collinge – Veteran
Military Role: Head of Regiment, Royal Artillery
Civvy Role: BSW ICB Chief of Staff
Richard brings a wealth of transferrable skills and experiences from his time in the military, which support his role in the NHS.
“The Army’s values are very similar to those of the NHS. The Sandhurst motto is ‘Serve to Lead’. I think the sense of service, which is so close to the hearts of many in the NHS, is a very common theme. In all I do, I try to serve our colleagues, our partners, our community, and our population to the best of my ability.” – Richard Collinge
Wendy Bruno – Veteran
Military Role: Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corp
Civvy Role: BSW ICB Primary Care Commissioning Manager
Wendy brings a wealth of transferrable skills and experiences from her time in the military, which support her role in the NHS.
“My military experience has given me the skills to be adaptable, pragmatic, organised and calm under pressure. I am resilient and have a strong focus on getting the job done. All tinged with a very warped sense of humour, especially in the face of adversity.” – Wendy Bruno
Events marking Armed Forces Day 2025 will be taking place across the country. Here are the nearest ones to BSW. South Gloucestershire Armed Forces Day | Swindon Armed Forces Celebration | REME Museum extravaganza in support of Armed Forces Day | Salisbury Armed Forces Day | Tidworth Armed Forces Day
The Armed Forces Covenant
BSW ICB has been recognised with the Silver Award by the Ministry of Defence for their exceptional support of the Armed Forces.
Read more about the Armed Forces Covenant which underlines the important relationship, and the mutual benefits, of organisations working together with our Armed Forces.
Almost all GP practices now veteran-friendly
Ninety-seven per cent of all local GP practices have been officially recognised for their work in supporting patients who are military veterans.
The Veteran Friendly GP Practice Programme is a joint initiative between the Royal College of General Practitioners and NHS England, and showcases how primary care professionals go the extra mile for people who have served their country, either at home or overseas.
Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire has one of the highest military populations in the country, with around 48,000 veterans living in the local region.
This means that for every 20 GP appointments carried out locally, at least one of the consultations will involve a patient hailing from a military background.
The response from local primary care colleagues towards the Veteran Friendly GP Practice Programme has been phenomenal, as less than two years ago, only 26 per cent on local surgeries had been formally accredited by the scheme.
To be officially recognised, practices must have a dedicated clinical lead for veterans, provide staff with relevant training opportunities and stay up-to-date with the latest research and innovations.
Say, You Served
When individuals leave the UK Armed Forces, it’s important for them to register with an NHS GP practice and tell them they’ve served.
This means their GP can better understand their health, particularly any health problems relating to their time in Service.
This does not always happen though, meaning some veterans may not be getting the support that is right for them, particularly in terms of benefitting from care and treatment from dedicated services, such as Op COURAGE: The Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Service and Op RESTORE: The Veterans Physical Health and Wellbeing Service.
NHS England, together with the Office for Veterans’ Affairs, is running a campaign to encourage veterans to let their GP practice know they have served in the UK Armed Forces; it’s important to ‘say you served’. It does not matter how long someone served for or when they left the Armed Forces, it’s important that veterans let their GP surgery know this information, as it may be relevant to their health and care, now
or in the future.
Op COURAGE: The Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Service
After serving in the Armed Forces, some people find it hard to adjust to civvy street. If you’re struggling with your mental health and wellbeing, Op COURAGE: The Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Service is here to help. Available across England, Op COURAGE has helped nearly 30,000 people since 2017.
Op COURAGE is an NHS service developed with people who’ve served in the Armed Forces and experienced mental ill-health. Everyone at Op COURAGE is either from the Armed Forces or has experience of working with the military community. Whether you’re due to leave the Armed Forces, are a reservist or have already left the military, Op COURAGE can help.
Op RESTORE: The Veterans Physical Health and Wellbeing Service
Op RESTORE: The Veterans Physical Health and Wellbeing Service is an NHS service providing specialist care and treatment to veterans who have physical health problems as a result of their time in the armed forces.
It works alongside Op Courage.
Op RESTORE can support you by:
- providing personalised treatment within the NHS
- treating you through military and civilian clinicians who understand the military environment and specialise in the type of physical health problems you have
- helping families and carers of veterans with physical health problems access appropriate support services
- working closely with many organisations, including GP surgeries, specialist NHS services, and military and non-military charities
Op COMMUNITY: Accessible single point of contact service
This is an initiative which offers an easily accessible NHS single point of contact for families and carers of current and former Armed Forces personnel, offering free help and advice when looking for support with matters relating to health, care and navigating the local NHS pathways.