Military personnel beat a retreat from duty at hospital as the crisis eases
THE majority of military personnel drafted in to support the Royal Derby Hospital in the battle against Covid-19 have left.
The Uttoxeter Road hospital has been supported by 24 members of the armed forces who were deployed when it was caring for record numbers of coronavirus patients last month.
In addition to nine combat medical technicians (CMTS), 15 general duties Army colleagues with no medical experience also received relevant training and were deployed to help staff.
The CMTS have been supporting staff to complete some clinical tasks in emergency areas at the University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust site.
The general duties personnel have been assisting in the intensive care unit and other wards by carefully moving patients, assisting porters and helping patients contact their relatives, among other tasks.
Of the 24 personnel involved, 18 had their debrief on Friday, with the remaining six staying on for around another week.
Before leaving the hospital, the military personnel were presented with certificates and Amazon vouchers from the trust, as a thank you for their support.
Staff sergeant Jason Wadsworth, from 35 Squadron, 5 Medical Regiment, Catterick Garrison in North Yorkshire, has been supporting the emergency department teams since January 18, in his capacity as a CMT with 15 years’ experience.
He said: “The last month or so has been very interesting, to say the least! There have been patients we’ve supported that we wouldn’t usually encounter in our normal working
lives, which has been challenging but the staff here have been great and have guided us through everything we’ve needed.
“It’s a good feeling to have been part of the efforts to combat Covid-19 and nice to have felt useful and like we’ve made a difference. I feel that this is one of the things that the British Army is good at – we fulfil a lot of different roles, whether that is flood defence, or driving fire engines, we’re always ready to step up, when needed.
“On behalf of us all, I’d like to say a massive thank-you to all of the staff. They’ve all been absolutely incredible with us and supported us 100 per cent.”
Phil Bolton, director of nursing at UHDB, said: “We really appreciate the support of our Army colleagues during what has undoubtedly been an extraordinarily difficult period for us all. I have been quite overwhelmed with the ease in which they have managed to adapt into our teams for the betterment of our patients.
“They have all been so hard working, helpful and approachable and I don’t know whether they realise just how much our staff have appreciated their assistance.”