Page 15 - RADC Bulletin 2021

resources and logistics from multiple areas within RMAS. The liaison and facilitation
of the DRPT was key to its success and thankfully the CDNs from DC Sandhurst were on hand for the duration to guide and manage patient attendance, follow-up appts and engage directly with the CSgts of the OCdts.
The workforce was made of up 1 x Medical Regt Dental Team and 1 x LS Region Dental Team on a rotational basis due to regional workforce constraints. Working with RADC Officers and Other Ranks from across the RADC was an excellent opportunity and demonstrated that we have a lot of talent within our Corps who are dedicated and patient focused.
The HGAV was a team effort and although we were working out of tents it did not
stop us from achieving the same standard as that of a firmbase Dental Centre. Close engagement with the clinical teams allowed me to manage expectations, problem solve and focus my efforts on their wellbeing
and morale. As a Warrant Officer it was
a privilege to have discussions and find
out more about each individual due to
the endless supply of tea, biscuits and occasional bacon butty in the Admin tent. I was delighted to be part of the RMAS DRPT and see the positive effects it had on LS Region personnel and general morale.
DRPT training value for a deployment to British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK)
Capt K Trinick, 5 Medical Regiment
I deployed on the DRPT to the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS) for five weeks as the Senior Dental Officer. Prior to the DRPT, I had set up the deployed dental kit multiple times with 5 Medical Regiment, but I had not used it to treat patients. The DRPT provided a great opportunity to get hands on experience using the deployed dental kit and learn its capabilities.
We had two dental surgeries running at RMAS, one was staffed by a Field Army Dental Team and the other by a rotation of staff from DPHC(D) London South (LS). Both teams gained a huge amount of confidence using the deployed kit, to the point where
it became second nature. The rotation of staff members from LS gave a further twelve clinicians training and valuable first-hand experience with the deployed kit, most of whom had never seen the kit before. These personnel became a key part of our team and all said that they really enjoyed the challenge and their time working in the DRPT. This experience will equip them well should they take up a posting at a Medical Regiment in the future or on Operations.
The time deployed was extremely valuable for me before I was tasked to the British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK) with
the same deployed dental kit. Both LCpl
Cacho and I had worked in the DRPT
prior to deploying to BATUK and I believe, having prior experience of the kit made the ordering and set up of the kit in BATUK much smoother and allowed for a quicker transition in country. Overall, I very much enjoyed my time on the DPRT and would embrace the opportunity to deploy with it again in the future.
Experience of the DRPT development
Maj D McBride
I have been fortunate enough to be involved in multiple iterations of the DRPT. From the Proof of Concept (PoC) to its latest form at DC Weeton. Each one is slightly different as it fits around the requirements of the Unit it is supporting and the infrastructure where it is situated.
It has evolved a lot in this time as at each set up there is a fresh HGAV which highlights further ways to improve and tighten up the assurance. While it is not usually seen as an exciting part of our roles, the Healthcare governance and prior planning of the DRPT is where all the hard work is done and where I personally learnt the most. There is overlap with a firm base HGAV but the real test of our ability as an SDO comes from having to be adaptable and pragmatic with the resources we have and can source.
In my opinion, not just working as a clinician but being involved in the planning and running of a DRPT is key to the learning and development of all Dental Officers and one of the best ways to gain experience
for our deployed role. I did not appreciate this until the DRPT at Weeton when I was more involved behind the scenes. The DRPT is a great tool to not only assist our units
in preparing for deployments but also for personal development in role.
The DRPT as a first deployment
Capt E Bell
As a newly commissioned Dental Officer, life in the RADC so far meant working in the familiarity of a DPHC(D) dental centre. Looking after the deployed dental kit was part of my role at 5 Medical Regiment, yet
I had never actually set up or used it. The thought of using this kit to treat patients was a daunting prospect. Luckily, the DRPT had already been tried and tested across the country. We had the experience of people who had used the kit before and had implemented any lessons learnt. After a successful deployment of the DRPT to Sandhurst there are now significantly more people who have this experience, including myself.
I was involved in the setting up and induction of the DRPT, and then returned for the final week to complete the last few clinics and get the kit packed away ready
to return to unit. Providing dental care in a tent was surprisingly easy to get used to. The quality of the equipment is good enough to (nearly) forget where you are. What makes dentistry in this environment challenging
is logistics. Broken equipment has a long journey back to its parent unit to be fixed, and generators can be very temperamental. Yet when these difficulties are overcome, it is so rewarding to be able to see what can be achieved with a little problem solving.
The close-down of the DRPT was hard work, we were blessed with a scorching few days to pack lots of heavy equipment. Luckily people from across the region got stuck in and helped us to get everything packed away on time.
There is no doubt that DRPT has made the RADC more able to provide deployed dentistry. Having experience of using
the deployed kit massively increased my confidence to deploy overseas. So many people have had this experience through various locations, meaning a huge number of people would be able to deliver dentistry comfortably in challenging environments. If the DRPT has shown one thing, it is that our ability to work outside of our comfort zone and get on with the task is what sets Military dentistry apart.
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