TA volunteers in special visit to hospital Trust

Colonel Kerry Trow, surrounded by the volunteers, presenting the print to Mr John Jesky

Representatives from the 207 (Manchester) Field Hospital (volunteers) have visited the Pennine Acute Hospital Trust to present them with a commemorative print as a token of appreciation for the support they have provided.

Several members of Trust hospital staff volunteer as reservist medics with the Territorial Army Medical Services Unit including Corporal Maxine Simpson an A&E nurse from Rochdale Infirmary.

Many returned to the UK earlier this year following a four month tour of Afghanistan after leaving their civilian day jobs last year at local hospitals across Pennine to work at Camp Bastion. The Bastion hospital is staffed by Territorial Army (TA) medic units on a three month rotation with the regular Army, so medical services can be sustained without having an adverse impact on the NHS in the UK.

Commanding Officer Colonel Kerry Trow from 207 Field Hospital, said:
“The print we have presented to the Trust today is a small token of our appreciation for the support that The Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust has provided.

“This support is vital to reservists and makes operational deployment and their continued involvement with the TA possible.”

John Jesky, Chairman of Pennine Acute Trust, said: “The Pennine Acute Trust fully supports our brave, dedicated and highly skilled staff who choose to volunteer with 207 (Manchester) Field Hospital (Volunteers) Medical Services Unit in the Territorial Army.

“We recognise and applaud the vitally important role that our staff bring to the unit. And, in turn, the experience, skills and qualities that our staff develop from their involvement with the TA can be offered and transferred to colleagues to develop the services we provide to patients here.”

“We are very proud of their commitment and bravery during their recent deployment and delivering the very best healthcare, in often very difficult circumstances, to not only those serving in the armed forces but also the citizens of Afghanistan. They all do a tremendous job under very different and challenging conditions supporting our service personnel.

“On behalf of the Board I would like to thank Colonel Kerry Trow and his colleagues for this superb print. I know this will be positioned in a prominent location for many of us within the Trust to admire and reflect on.”