Thank you and farewell: army support withdrawn from Barts Health
As pressures ease across our hospitals, the army support provided to our trust has been withdrawn.
The military aid to civilian authorities (MACA) was deployed in teams at Newham, Whipps Cross and The Royal London hospitals.
Feedback from the army personnel about their experiences in our hospitals has been extremely positive. Lance Corporal Lauren Webster, who was deployed to Newham Hospital described how staffs’ “passion and dedication to the job was inspiring and made me appreciate the hard work of hospital staff even more”, while Lieutenant Harriet Burns from Whipps Cross Hospital said “watching staff over the last few weeks and seeing the work they do has given me a massive appreciation about how hard they work day-to-day."
At Newham Hospital, the team of ten provided non-clinical support, including helping porters move patients, assisting domestic staff with cleaning duties, working on wards and in A&E to lend a hand wherever the doctors and nurses needed it.
Similarly, the ten soldiers deployed to Whipps Cross Hospital, worked in the A&E department, supporting with general duties like moving patients, re-stocking and collecting supplies from the pharmacy.
Meanwhile, the army personnel deployed to The Royal London Hospital helped more with patient care. These five combat medical technicians (CMTs) were based on the HIV and respiratory medicine ward, where they supported with patient care, observations and cannulas. Essentially, they provided invaluable support similar to a student nurse.
Feedback from the hospitals was very positive, with staff extremely grateful to have the extra pairs of hands in challenging times. Senior Sister, Prescilla Cutinha, based on 13F at The Royal London said: “The offer of support from the CMTs was most welcomed. They were professional, calm, supportive and respectful to our patients, relatives and the entire team on 13F. I would like to extend my gratitude and appreciation to all of them.”
Likewise, everyone at Barts Health, and in particular those who worked with these teams, would like to thank the 25 army personnel and their supporting colleagues for coming to our hospitals to support us when we needed it most. Thank you.
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