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Operation RESCRIPT;
supporting our NHS staff in
the South West
Lt H Brooks RA
THIS TIME OUR
ROLE WAS
TO SUPPORT
FRONT-LINE
CLINICAL NHS
STAFF IN THE
WORST-HIT
HOSPITAL
WARDS AND
DEPARTMENTS
ACROSS THE SOUTH WEST
Learning how to use Zoom, cutting your own hair and fighting for Ocado delivery slots are common experiences within everyone’s lives as they adapt to the ‘new normal.’ But for many in Black 8, their lasting memories are of the sights, smells and sounds of an NHS Intensive Care Unit during the height of the UK’s third COVID-19 wave, operating in support of our most loved and utterly profes- sional front-line NHS staff.
As the heat was building during the first wave and the nation attempted to find a way, 8 Bty deployed in small teams across the South West to implement a mobile testing program in support of the local government. This was a novel concept that hadn’t been implemented on this scale at home before and would form part of the UK-wide Test and Trace scheme. Working on innovative practices is not a new concept for a Regiment that is used to testing and implementing new working practices in their role as Commando Gunners. With a short and sharp training course quickly implemented, the personnel handled the steep learning curve well, however this was only the start of a long running commitment for Black 8 to support the civil authorities in the South West. On returning to work in Jan 2021 after Christmas leave, members of 8 Bty were again recalled to deploy at short notice as the lead unit for UK Resilience Unit 11; this time our role was to support front-line clinical NHS staff in the worst-hit hospital wards and departments across the South West.
One of those hospitals was the Royal United Hospital in Bath where 20 members of Black 8 deployed on 19 Jan, delivering 24/7 support within their ICU, Respiratory Ward and Medical Assessment Unit. Responsibilities included making cups of tea for tired doctors, topping up PPE for the busy nurses, chatting and comforting stressed patients, and most importantly, keeping morale high during the incredibly difficult times. After a very busy first week it became clear that more help was needed in order to sustain an effective presence across all 3 wards and the team were reinforced with another 10 members from The Royal Marines Band Service. At its peak, the military team was 36 strong and had earned the trust from the NHS staff, which meant the various tasks being carried out were growing every day alongside their low-level medical skills.
At Bristol Southmead Hospital, other members of Black 8 were employed in a bespoke job role rather than supplementing NHS staff. With clear instruc- tions, the commander was given a mission to get after
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