Page 30 - QARANC Vol 19 No 1 2021

28 The Gazette QARANC Association
Name: Capt William Preece Cap badge: QARANC
Age: 25
Years of service: One – started at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in January 2020, commissioning in March. Accelerated assessment saw him go straight to Frimley Park Hospital
Role: Military head of department for orthopaedics ward
‘New kid on
the block’
From Sandhurst to COVID fight in first Army posting
How did you find the reality of starting your first posting in such circumstances?
“When I arrived, there was no orthopaedics – it was all hands on deck looking after COVID patients.
“I have worked in the NHS before in high dependency medicine so that training and experience was exactly what was required for these patients.
“I found coming to Frimley Park and seeing the reality of COVID-19 quite overwhelming.
“You assume it is not happening but when you see it for yourself it almost becomes the day-to-day norm – it effects people, it puts staff at risk, and everyone is working incredibly hard.”
What is day-to-day life like on the ward?
“When you go there you are in a bubble. You work hard and look after
patients to the best of your ability, but it is the factors around that which make it challenging.
“The biggest one of those is when staff start to feel unwell. In normal times it is a manageable busy but when you have colleagues who call in sick with COVID, or have been contact traced and are off work, you are doubling your load.
“It means we are doing the bare minimum to keep patients safe – it becomes truly unimaginable.”
How have you and your Forces colleagues coped in such trying times?
“Prior to the most recent lockdown we tried to return to some kind of normality with military training on a Friday.
“Seeing that come back was a huge boost for morale and allowed us to switch our mindset from what was happening in the hospital.
“We have also done clinical supervisions that allows personnel to have a debrief and talk about the things they have done right or could do better.
“Some were saying they’d like more time with their patients as they are so unwell, but we are in a position where that’s not really an option. That is
something which is hard to get your head round.”
What motivates you to keep coming back for more?
“I truly believe it is an honour to be in a position where I can look after the soldiers I work with. They are getting