Page 183 - MBS 2022/23

PCRF Staff conducting an in-service training session in the gym facility at Larkhill
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Entering my second year at PCRF Larkhill, the role of a first tour ERI is now becoming more natural following
some good early exposure to the primary care rehabilitation environment. A large facility supporting 5,500 Service Personnel from six major units means that day-to- day business at PCRF Larkhill is very active. Located in a relatively new gym, we are blessed with great facilities that allow us the space and equipment to deliver a comprehensive rehab environment.
With a team of six physiotherapists and four ERIs, we deliver conventional primary care rehab, seeing a variety of acute and long-term injuries. The team also delivers regular class therapy; centred around balance and proprioception, individual programme sessions and warrior mobility. In recent times, we have also aimed to enhance this class delivery with concentrated spine-specific courses and a condensed version of DoFIT.
In addition to my role as a member of the PCRF Larkhill team, most of my last year as an ERI was spent deployed on Op CABRIT 10 as the forward ERI in support of the 1st Battalion, Royal Welsh (1 R Welsh) Battlegroup. With the ever-changing global climate, this serial of CABRIT would differ from previous iterations and see two Battlegroups operating in Estonia. The previous lead unit for CABRIT 9, The Royal Tank Regiment, would stay in the country for a further 3-months to increase its presence in the region. This had its challenges; reduced space, resources and time would see departments stretched and theprovisionofrehabwasnodifferent.
As part of the Forward Rehab Team, consisting of Capt Ishan Dewan RAMC and myself, our role was to deliver rehabilitative care to SP affected by MSKIs, either acute in nature or more long-term pre-deployment injuries that required continuation of care whilst deployed. This meant that our scope of practice was vast and not too dissimilar to that of a busy PCRF. As well as hitting our Key Performance Indicators, we as a team aimed to facilitate regular Level 1
The Forward Rehabilitation Team - Capt Ishan Dewan RAMC & Sgt (SI) Conor Holmes RAPTC
Sgt (SI) C Holmes RAPTC
PRIMARY CARE REHABILITATION FACILITY LARKHILL
Miss C Chalwin delivering the weekly Balance and Proprioception class
group PT sessions where we didn’t just completeindividualprogrammesbutalso maintained all areas of fitness through low- level APTS-themed sessions to improve the eventual transition to L2/L3 PT.
As well as being part of the rehab team, I was also very lucky to have a wider PD team in the two Battlegroups RAPTC SSIs, SSgt (SSI) Nathan Lockey and SSgt (SSI) Sam Smith (now WO2). Lots of collaborative working and communication between us meant that we could refine the return to fitness process and maximise the overall PD delivery.
Sgt (SI) Holmes delivering a weekly Mobility & Mindfulness class
Deployed RAPTCIs - SSgt (SSI) Sam Smith, SSgt (SSI) Nathan Lockey & Sgt (SI) Conor Holmes stood in front of the obstacle course on Tapa Camp, Estonia
The great working environment while deployed was complemented by opportunities outside of the normal day-to-day job. Youth engagement projects, Estonian conscript events, Inter- Battlegroup Sports Competitions, and as a coach and player with the Battlegroup Rugby Team were some of the things I was lucky enough to be involved in.
Sgt (SI) Holmes playing and coaching Rugby