Page 47 - QARANC Vol 20 No 2 2022

The Gazette QARANC Association 47
‘Even the ration lunches received rave reviews’
Cpl Harry Loveridge reveals what happened when NHS colleagues joined the JHG (N) on a training day
JHG(N) invited their NHS counterparts along to a ‘back to basics exercise’ to gain an insight into what service personnel do outside James Cook University Hospital.
20 members of NHS staff, who work directly alongside their military counterparts enthusiastically threw themselves into the days’ activities.
The day started with a round robin, observing exercising troops at the Counter Explosive Ordnance (CEO), Pre-Hospital Treatment Team (PHTT) and Prolonged Field Care (PFC) stands. The PHTT & PFC is an environment the NHS staff could relate to, as many were from JCUH’s Emergency Department.
They quickly realised the lack of equipment and staff meant that
inventive and adaptable measures had to be used to treat patients. However, the CEO stand demonstrated the breadth of their military colleagues’ role and the ground sign observation lane proved much harder than they had imagined.
Moving onto the rations pack lunch, which received overwhelmingly positive reviews, many of the staff took the remainder home as a goody bag and without any prompting began necessary swaps and trades. Hopefully the biscuit browns don’t make it to the break room.
The NHS went on to be challenged with command tasks and a basher building race. Some of them were brave enough to test the bashers with
a jerry can.
The day finished with the exercising
troops combining many of the skills and drills learnt throughout the week. A tactical patrol requiring CEO confirmation, response to effective enemy small arms fire, IDF and care under fire with a cas-evac.
The afternoon concluded with a BBQ and address from OCN, Lt Col Hulley.
The NHS staff and troops could finally sit down together and catch up with one another. There were lots of questions and some interest in how they could join up! Hopefully this is the start of many more engagement days with the NHS staff.