Page 4 - QARANC Vol 20 No 2 2022

4 The Gazette QARANC Association
‘Thank you for playing your part in strengthening our Corps’
Welcome to the Autumn and celebration edition of The Gazette; a bumper selection of articles to recognise and commemorate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and our own special anniversaries.
The Branch Chair and Secretaries AGM and reunion at Cardiff was great fun and we were delighted to have Mrs Vera Hay with us there from Catterick Branch celebrating her 100th birthday. June was a month seeing a lot of activity; our Colonel in Chief generously invited two serving members to HRH the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Party at the Palace where they joined other specially
invited guests, we held our CPD and celebratory event at the national Memorial Arboretum where we opened the newly refurbished path in our QARANC garden.
There is huge talent in
our Corps, and it has been
inspiring to see so many recognised through the
Queen’s Birthday Honours
List. The selection panel for
the QARANC awards were especially pleased to see so
many nominations for HCAs this year, and I was delighted to be part of the HCA graduation Ceremony at Lichfield and to present the Leith-Macgregor Best HCA Award.
This year, talent of our serving colleagues has also been marked by the great number selected for promotion to Cpl, Sgt, SSgt and Lt Col. Congratulations to you all!
It’s 100 years since the first male nurses were entered onto the supplement of the Nursing Register, most of whom were Army (RAMC) nurses; what a lot has happened in our history since then! By the time this has been published, The Wessex Cup will have taken place and the Centenary Male Nursing celebratory event.
Significantly, two large reviews have been published this year; the Integrated Review (Future Soldier) which has resulted in the newly formed regular and reserve medical units, and the Project VICTORIA review; the
future of the four Corps of the AMS. Although there was close consultation with me for the Field Hospital Review in 2020/21 so we could ensure clear QARANC structures for regulars and reserves, the Future Soldier Changes combined with ABC recommendations were made without consultation with Corps Chiefs (CMO, CDO, CV&RO and CNO). For QAs, this means the Army Nursing Capability Review (published 2020) will require a complete review for regular and reserve QARANC to ensure we have our officer and soldier structures correct across the specialities and broader Career Employment Groups. Specialist Nurse Advisors (SNAs) will have a crucial role in the ANCR to meet the next generation of
healthcare delivery.
Pj VICTORIA reported in
Spring this year; Collectively the four AMS Corps Chiefs recommendations to remain as individual Corps with the three human healthcare Corps (RAMC, RADC and QARANC) working to a strengthened HQ AMS and
an MoU with HQ AMS to support RAVC were accepted. The next steps are to undertake open consultation across all ranks of the Corps.
Within our team, we say a huge thank you to CRSM WO1 Olive for her tremendous work over the past three years. WO1 Olive has tirelessly represented officers and soldiers throughout her tenure and been a sound voice of reason during selection and appointment Boards, during our Trustee meetings and monthly update with the Cols Comdt and me. Handing over, we welcome WO1 Hamilton and look forward to working together.
I also thank Col Marie Richter the Bde Col Nursing (Reserve) who has been a tremendous and sage voice for reserve nursing and officer selection at AOSB. The post is handed over to Col Helen Singh in December with a new title; Bde SNO. Finally, Col Paul Jackson my successor, will take over from me at the end of November 2022.
Welcome to you both.
From the start of my career, I have
had tremendous support from the QARANC. As a student nurse in the Army School of nursing I was and am still being supported by my tutor in her current role as Vice Chair of the Board of trustees!
The best friend I made in basic training has been a tower of strength and wise advice and we have laughed a lot over the years and shared many experiences in home units and on Ops. It is the many friendships made, and the very happy memories especially in clinical roles, in field units especially 243 Fd Hosp, and the variety of Bde and HQ staff appointments and deployments in the Balkans, Afghanistan, Mali and closer to home supporting RESCRIPT, which remain with me.
These opportunities, friendships and memories have been the greatest part of my working life. While sad those days are behind me, I am looking forward to my next venture with my family and becoming a veteran.
Everyone reading this has played a part in continuing the strength of our Corps and Association; whether serving, veterans, Trustees and staff of the QARANC Association and families. My thanks to you all for your loyalty, support and incredible dedication. It has been a joy and a humbling experience to have served alongside you. I wish you all and especially my successor Col Paul Jackson, all the very best for your futures.
Take care and keep safe. In friendship,
Sub cruce candida
Colonel Alison Farmer ARRC QHN Chief Nursing Officer (Army)
There is huge talent in our Corps, and it has been inspiring to see so many recognised through the Queen’s Birthday Honours List