St George’s Hospital Chairman, Gillian Norton, yesterday (Tuesday 20 February) welcomed representatives of the Armed Forces to St George’s for the signing of the Armed Forces Covenant.

The Covenant serves as a promise to support serving personnel and their families who work at the Trust, ensuring that those who serve or who have served are treated fairly.

Captain Wayne Douglas was joined by Chief Petty Officer Linda Hadcocks, a Reservist working at St George’s, at the signing organised by Sarah Mortimer, Recruitment Manager, and Sarah Hemmings, Recruitment Team Leader.

Gillian Norton, Chairman, said: “As a Trust, it’s important for us to show our support for the vital role played by members of the Armed Forces.

“A number of our staff currently serve as Reservists, so I was delighted to sign the covenant today and show our commitment to the Armed Forces community.”

Colonel (Retired) Hugh Purcell, Chief Executive of the Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Association for Greater London, welcomed St George’s commitment to support the Armed Forces community: “The Armed Forces and the NHS share many things in common, most important of all they are both filled to the brim with dedicated people making a huge contribution to the country.

“It’s great to see that connection strengthened by St George’s signing of the Armed Forces Covenant making a very public commitment to ensuring the Armed Forces community is not disadvantaged as a result of their service or the service of a family member.”

Linda Hadcocks, Chief Petty Officer and Clinical Trials Assistant and Biomedical Scientist at St George’s said: “As a Reservist at St George’s, I was really pleased to see the Trust show their support and recognise the importance of Reservists.”