Page 118 - RAPTC Number 102 2018/19

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REGIONAL REHABILITATION UNIT ALDERGROVE ‘CONSTANTLY EVOLVING’
Sgt (SI) A Rizvi RAPTC
RRU Aldergrove has provided residential rehabilitation for over 120 service personnel in the past 12 months. A small but highly effective organisation we deliver some 3-week
generals course every month throughout the year including a one-week patient assessment period. We take patients from all Northern Ireland and Scotland with the bulk of them coming from 5 Regt Army Air Corps in Aldergrove, 2 RIFLES in Lisburn and 1 SCOTS in Holywood. Since we run a general course we see the most varied group of patients possible, they can be acute, middle or late stage in terms of how far along the rehab pathway they are, and their injury site can be anywhere. This certainly keeps you on your toes when planning group therapy lessons when you must effectively and safely challenge such a diverse and complex patient cohort.
This is the second Northern Ireland posting of my career in my home country having previously served here attached to UKSF for 2 years, it’s always good to be back in God’s Country and now in my second year in post I’m firmly embedded within an excellent team consisting of two highly experienced and friendly civilian physiotherapists, WO2 (QMSI) R Hughes and an old face from my AAPTI days at ATR Winchester; the OC Maj M Clarke.
The RRU’s main effort during this period has been challenging to say the least, attempting to focus our strength training package to improve functional output scores whilst simultaneously managing patient symptoms and pain for those on our books. The course structure and content is constantly evolving based on the feedback of patients so we can deliver the best and most effective training possible. As of 2019 the RRU course has undergone massive changes, morphing from the traditional 3-week structure where patients all form up and finish on the same days into a rolling system where patients can be assessed anytime and join the course at the start of the following week without having to wait for a course to begin. The course has also split into 3 separate streams; AM, PM and late stage. Patients will only attend the RRU for half days which encourages the chain of command to release them and allows the RRU to have potentially 45 soldiers on our books as opposed to just 15. In the words of the OC ‘adapt or die’ and with these new changes RRU Aldergrove is thriving.
On top of day to day RRU life the ERIs in the region lead the way in terms of organising, hosting and officiating a wide range of events such as cross country, boxing, triathlon and the always popular annual Brigade Mud Run. They also assist with Regional AT as well as making time for career courses, constant trips back and forth to the mainland for CPD / RAPTC business and regional in service training held every 3 months, attended by all clinicians from across Northern Ireland.
Elsewhere is in region, Sgt (SI) S Coleman RAPTC at PCRF Holywood has seen the change of role for 1 SCOTS to a specialist
infantry Bn has meant that PCRF Holywood had to adapt their working practice to ensure we can continue to provide maximum capability to 1 SCOTS. The PCRF has also assisted with AAPTI development days and CoC injury prevention presentations, all of which has been extremely well received by the Units and Commanding Officers.
This year also seen him deploy to Oman as part of the forward rehabilitation team with 5 Medical Regiment to support Exercise Saif Sereea 3. The exercise was a combined military training exercise between the UK and Omani Armed Forces, a total of 5500 UK Regular and Reserve military personnel deployed onto the exercise.
Sport is ever increasing in Northern Ireland, which is great to see. One sport in-particular is the talk of the Brigade and that is Indoor Rowing. The Indoor Rowing league has seen all ranks and cap badges participate, this has resulted in a healthy competitive environment for many soldiers, whom may not have tried Indoor Rowing previously. The increasing popularity of this challenging sport was supported with a 38 (Irish) Brigade Indoor Rowing competition, in which over 80 personnel participated.
SSgt (SSI) M Combe RAPTC has arrived at PCRF Aldergrove in July 2018 after a 3-year post with The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards was not only a change of role from Mainstream back to ERI but also a return to Northern Ireland where he served his very first tour as an ERI at RRU Aldergrove in 2012. A lot has changed in this period not only in terms of infrastructure but also in rehabilitation, course delivery, implementation of Programme THOR for Units and the Physical Employment Standards.
PCRF Aldergrove as not had a Military presence for several years so he had to hit the ground in terms of assisting with the changes and implementing a more holistic approach to rehabilitation which includes education, principles of strength and conditioning, goal setting and program design.
SSgt (SSI) Combe RAPTC also took on the role as the Northern Ireland Cross Country Secretary, where we are currently coming to the end of the season with 1 more race out of 8 to complete; attendance has slowly increased which is pleasing to see despite increases in personnel commitments.
SSgt (SSI) Combe RAPTC is looking forward to his time at PCRF Aldergrove and embracing the changes to rehabilitation and physical training within the Armed Forces.
Over the next year 38 (Irish) Brigade will be as busy as ever with on-going role changes in the main Regular Units and the constant rotation of Reserve units coming on and off mobilisation. The ERIs look forward to the challenges ahead.