Page 128 - Mind, Body & Spirit Number 104 2020/21

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staff to ensure that all Phase 2 trainees meet the required service fitness standards and arrive into the field force in good order.
Due to the challenges Covid has presented the physios’ and ERIs’ they have had to adapt the way they have seen patients, from wearing full PPE for face-to-face consultations to virtual clinics, ensuring that permanent staff and trainees still receive first class care. Sgt Craft and SSgt Jerrams also conduct two bespoke weekly sessions for all trainees, which allows the ERIs the opportunity to progress their patients on a regular basis.
PCRF 3 Royal School of Military Engineering
Sgt (SI) G Burton RAPTC
On posting to 3 Royal School of Military Engineering (RSME) in January the first thing I noticed was the sense of a family community within the small camp, and how each NCO had wanted to be there. This itself could be seen through how they presented themselves and how they conducted their day to day business with the soldiers under training. It was fascinating to see, and you can feel the sense of pride people have to be working there.
The trainees however, some still very fresh into the Army, were another challenge. The second they caught a glimpse of the prestigious cross sword and crown on my blue jacket they instantly closed ranks within themselves and didn’t want to say boo to a goose within the PCRF. This is understandable, I was the first Military presence within the building since Sgt (SI) Liam Beach had posted out to Tidworth in November. My initial response was to build a rapport with the troops and get them onside and realise I was approachable. I have always used the three F’s (Firm, Fair, Friendly) taught to me by WO2 (QMSI) A Burt when I was an AAPTI.
Before long there was a mutual respect between me and the trainees, they understood I was there to develop them and return them back into training. They soon realised I wasn’t there to make their rehabilitation hard.
With the training team we have built a robust and responsive FoE for the trainees allowing for their rehabilitation, continued military skills training and recreational therapy (we all need a little down time). My highlight so far has been using my knowledge and experience to turn a rehabilitation swim lesson in to an educational tactical river crossing lesson, this gave the trainees the opportunity to think outside of the box, try something they had
never done before, use their imagination and put their engineering skills to task to make viable rafts out of their bergens.
Within the three months I have settled in to my new post but I have a huge amount of challenges known and unknown in front of me, I look forward to the next two years and seeing the impact I can have on the future soldiers of 3 RSME, the unit as a whole and the LS Region.
PCRF London
Sgt (SI) M Radley RAPTC
During this challenging time staff from DPHC London central which includes PCRF London have gone above and beyond providing vital vaccination support to the local PCN vaccination sites at Lord’s Cricket Ground and the Royal Horticultural Society Hall
This has all been conducted while not impacting on the continuity of patient care or essential clinical outputs. The team have volunteered their support in a variety of roles such as marshalling, administration and as vaccinators, to support the mass vaccination campaign in Central London. Each volunteer from the team has selflessly demostrated their adaptability and impressive enthusiasm when carrying out their given role. Everyone has embraced and worked collaborative to mutually support their NHS counterparts, delivering the highest standards of care.
PCRF London and PCRF Aldershot will be part of the Defence Rehab/JHubMed Wearable Integrated Rehabilitation Application (WIRA) Implementation Trial. The ‘myrecovery’ system aims to empower patients with greater ownership of their MSKI rehab and enable clinicians to make data driven clinical decisions, based on real time feedback surrounding rehab progression and rehab adherence.
Round Up
If this year has taught us anything it is to be flexible and assist those around us, the RRU and PCRF Units within the LS Region have embraced all challenges faced and instead of just waiting for things to settle down, rehabilitation has continued. Physios and ERIs have continuously been looking at new and innovative ways to continue treating their population at risk (PAR). Everyone has pulled together and continued to work tirelessly to deliver excellent and timely rehabilitation throughout this year, an outstanding effort by all.
Cryotherapy
Vaccination assistance