Page 31 - QARANC Vol 14 No 12 2016

THE GAZETTE QARANC 29
responsibility on the nurse.
Although the daily clinics were not
particularly busy, there is an older population with many islanders aged over 60. Much of Bernie’s day to day work is taken up with home visits to the more infirm members of the small community. I continued this during my placement. Chronic disease management is also a large part of the workload. A GP visits from the hub practice in Kirkwall every Tuesday morning, flying up when the weather permits.
The ANP on North Ronaldsay works in a very isolated location although contact can be made with the GP daily and with A&E 24 hours a day. There are well rehearsed plans for evacuating patients off the islands, using the Scottish Air Ambulance Service (SAAS), RNLI or RAF in extremis. Given the remoteness of the outer-isles and the potential for adverse weather conditions, employing these services to move sick and injured islanders to the Balfour Hospital on the ‘Mainland’ or directly to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary if required, are an accepted part of island life. During my second visit the Scottish Ambulance Service visited North Ronaldsay to reveal their new air
ambulance to the local population. There are other Isles within the Orkney archipelago where ANPs work alone and there is the potential for military ANPs to provide leave relief over a number of different locations during a period of attachment. This would offer variety for the military ANP as well as alleviating the significant financial burden on NHS Orkney of providing expensive locum cover,
normally provided by GPs.
There is an Army Reserve Centre in
Kirkwall, belonging to a detachment from 71 Engineer Regiment (Headquarters in Leuchars Station). Through prior arrangement with their Training Major (Trg Maj), I was able to access Dii-F at their detachment location. Whilst working in Kirkwall, it allowed me to communicate with RHQ in Dundee during my time off. This reduced any anxiety my chain of command may have had due to my absence from the Trg Maj role in the Regiment. In return for their hospitality, 71 Engineer Regiment also asked me to attest a new Army Reservist into their unit during one of my visits.
NHS Orkney are an organisation that welcomes the offer of support from military ANPs. This opportunity offers
One of the famed North Ronaldsay rare breed, seaweed eating sheep
military ANPs a choice of hospital and community placements to maintain clinical professional development as well as placing the military in the public eye. Shorter attachments may be more realistic and achievable than longer periods and may fit better with what NHS Orkney require. If the opportunity arises, I would highly recommend NHS Orkney to our military ANPs as a destination for some clinical time in a very unique location.
DJ Jenkins RAMC Band Maj
SNO, ATC (Pirbright)
With drums beating
AMS Civic Honours
The very first engagement I undertook with the AMS Band was the Freedom of Ipswich Parade in October 1992. I recall it was a rather cold Sunday morning and we even had to cease playing as we marched past a church to avoid upsetting the congregation! But then there was probably more in that Church then there was outside, as the streets were all rather barren, perhaps someone had told them we were all coming? Of course this is all a far cry from Freedom parades of recent years, with hundreds of flag waving members of the public showing their gratitude and the services being in the public eye. This parade in Ipswich was the first, marching many miles, of no less than seven Freedom Parades with the Band over 22 years. The thought came to mind what localities have given the QARANC this privilege?
Some background detail may be useful to the readership. The grant
of honorary freedom in the UK is governed by the Local Government Act 1972 which enabled the councils of cities, royal boroughs, boroughs, and parishes (or Welsh communities) with the status of a royal town, to bestowing the status of Freeman upon an organisation or “persons of distinction and persons who have, in the opinion of the council, rendered eminent services” to the local area. The Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 Act extended the ability to grant the status of Freeman to any county, city, district, borough, town, parish or community council, (removing the requirement for the town to have ‘royal’ status, and also enabling county councils to confer the honour).
To bestow such a civic freedom requires a specially convened meeting of the Council and for the resolution to be passed by a Two thirds majority. If passed, a formal presentation of an