Page 57 - RADC 2020

OR JOBS
Royal Centre of
Defence Medicine –
Tales of a Regimental
Quartermaster Sergeant
WO2 T Protheroe, RADC
Subsequent to being selected for promotion to WO2, I received my assignment as RQMS to the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine (RCDM). As a consequence of such revelations, I was overwhelmed by a mixture of excitement and sadness as I absolutely loved my
job in BFG but was also ready for the challenge of moving out of the dental trade.
I arrived at RCDM with the knowledge I was taking over the role from another RADC colleague, WO2 Hyde. This provided me some degree of reassurance that the Dental Corps had already been accepted into the Unit and as their RQMS. As we all know, moving to and from overseas comes with its own set of challenges, but I decided
that on top of these I would purchase and move into my own home and from there commute to work. My children leaving school during GCSE
exam years was not
ideal, so I made this
decision to prevent
further disruption over
the GCSE and A level
exam periods and
provide a sustainable,
stable environment
where they can begin
to settle. The majority
of military bases are
set in rural areas or
large towns so life
in a big city was the
first change I had to
overcome. The most
prevalent obstacles I found initially were the sheer size of the city and parking. The plus side being the city hosts the best public transport network I have ever used.
Without having any previous experience or qualifications in the logistics accounting systems, it was difficult for me to fully understand the nature of my role and
to perform all the mandatory checks. Fortunately, the team was fantastic and very supportive; enabling me to conduct the areas of work that I could undertake while I waited for the RQMS course. The RQMS role here is also responsible for the
unit Health & Safety (H&S) as one of the two advisors. This meant that I was immediately thrust onto the very challenging course to gain the NEBOSH certificate in Occupational Health & Safety. The course enabled me
to take on some of the key roles in this
area for the Commanding Officer (CO). My RQMS course was further delayed due to
an error in loading so I took the opportunity to renew my first aid at work qualification and took additional courses in environmental policy and law; sounds cool right! I now get excited about rubbish, recycling and energy management.
The daily RQMS business is mainly carried out in a small complex adjacent to the QE Hospital Birmingham where I work closely with the MT and J7 teams supporting the Unit’s tri service staff cohort of Doctors, Nurses, Healthcare Assistants (HCAs), Radiographers, Operating Department
Practitioners (ODPs) and all the other support staff. As RCDM personnel are dispersed across a wide diaspora it is necessary for me,
on occasion, to
travel to visit them in Oxford, Stoke and East Grinstead. My responsibilities include providing the support element to all staff at RCDM; this covers military and clinical clothing, ammunition,
and GSR parts, all the way down to the provision of stationery. I don’t do this alone and have a small but effective team who are absolute professionals. I also get involved with the facility and contract management of the 180-bed mess building and work hard to maintain good working relationships with DIO, ESS, MGS and the myriad of maintenance crews that visit. The RCDM mess is a new, 2017, purpose-built mess 30 minutes’ drive away from the hospital, housing all three services and all ranks, which the RQMS covers.
COVID-19 was a big test of our resilience
across the board. RCDM was proud to be at the front on this occasion. I was part
of the team that, in liaison with our NHS colleagues, evaluated initial resources that could be used in the outbreak. After firstly investigating a newly built private hospital, this was discounted in favour of the NEC, now known as The Nightingale Birmingham. This was an extremely busy period in which I was between the stores, mess and the NEC. Weekends home didn’t happen
for over 4 weeks as I tried to limit contact with my children, wanting to prevent any unknown transfer of the virus. I limited office hours and split work with the mess, office and NEC. Personnel who were required
to self-isolate at the mess needed to be confined to their rooms in order to prevent any possible spread. This meant that we needed to deliver meals, essential shopping and remove (contaminated) waste. Hence my donning of the PPE for refuse collection! A small team of 4 worked hard to look
after our isolated staff and to reassure the civilians still working in the building that
all precautions were being implemented
and carried out. Many serving personnel changed shift patterns, doing extended shifts, and were manning a donning and doffing team central to the COVID-19 wards. Looking back, it was a period of high intensity work of the mind and body but so valuable to know it has contributed to the bigger picture in protecting and saving lives.
Moving forward we have a big project
on our hands as we look to manage the
J4 accounts for all 5 JHG units in the UK. This has already started to provide new challenges as we collate the information required to write the new working practices. I would recommend this post to those
who have or want J4 experience and a genuine interest in Health, Safety and the Environment.
I was part of the team that, in liaison
with our NHS colleagues, evaluated initial resources that could be used in the outbreak
RADC BULLETIN 2020 55