Veterans healthcare in the spotlight as Headley Court relocates to Shropshire

A national charity that seeks to support the needs of Armed Forces veterans has formally relocated to The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital in Shropshire.

The Headley Court Charity will now be based out of the Headley Court Veterans’ Orthopaedic Centre that bears its name at the Oswestry-based hospital.

Headley Court was a military rehabilitation centre near Epsom, Surrey, but closed in 2018 when services moved to a new facility at Stanford Hall near Loughborough. Following the move, the charity's chairman Air Vice Marshal Anthony Stables said it was using its resources to fund projects that "honoured the legacy of Headley Court".

One of those projects was at RJAH, with the charity agreeing to award the hospital a grant of £6 million back in 2020 to build the UK’s first dedicated veterans’ orthopaedic centre. That building opened in late 2021.

Now the charity is providing further funding to pilot a veterans’ rehabilitation programme out of the centre, which will run for an initial 18 months.

And the relationship between hospital and charity has got even closer, with it formally relocating to Shropshire to continue its work.

A new Board of Trustees has also been appointed. Air Vice Marshall Retrd Tony Stables has stood down, with Mike Debens, a long-standing Trustee, taking on the baton. New Trustees to join the Board include Craig Macbeth, a former Chief Finance Officer at RJAH who played a leading role in developing and delivering the Veterans Orthopaedic Centre.

Other new Trustees include Lt Col Retd. Guy Chambers, an Ellesmere-based former British Army Officer; and Sam Alsop-Hall, a healthcare investor and advisor.

New Chair Mike said: “We are delighted that the Headley Court Charity has formally relocated to Shropshire.

“The Trustees are keen to support the work of the Headley Court Veterans’ Orthopaedic Centre and to develop the services offered, with a particular emphasis on rehabilitation following surgery.”

Outgoing Chair Tony added: “I could not have wished for a finer ending to my tenure as Chair, surrounded by caring, committed people, and I hand it over happily, knowing that the charity is in very safe hands.”

Stacey Keegan, Chief Executive of RJAH, said: “I am so grateful to the Headley Court Charity for their ongoing support over a number of years.

“They share our vision of delivering world class veterans care, and I am delighted that they are now relocating to our hospital so that we can continue on that mission together.

“We have come a long way since the Headley Court Veterans’ Orthopaedic Centre first opened, but there is still much to do and our joint ambition to deliver is stronger than ever.”

As part of the formal meeting to agree the relocation of the charity, an afternoon of meetings was held to ensure good governance. There was also a celebration and speeches in the evening with friends and supporters of the Headley Court Charity and RJAH coming together.

Pictured: From left to right: Stacey Keegan, Chief Executive of RJAH; Victoria Sugden, Charity Director of the League of Friends and Lead Governor at RJAH;  Harry Turner, Chair of RJAH; are pictured with the Board of Trustees at Headley Court - Lt Col Retd. Guy Chambers MBE; Sam Alsop-Hall; Mike Debens (new HCC Chair); Craig Macbeth; Air Vice-Marshal Retd Tony Stables CBE (retiring HCC Chair); Air Commodore Retd Paul Hughesdon MBE (retiring HCC Trustee); and Angela Mulholland-Wells, Chief Finance Officer at RJAH.