We’d like to introduce you to Rob Shoosmith, a DHU Healthcare Paramedic who is also a Reservist with the RAF.
Having signed the Armed Forces Covenant and attained the Bronze Award and whilst now working towards the Silver Award, DHU Healthcare is showing its commitment to those who have served and support for our colleagues who are still active.
We spoke to Rob about his role here at DHU and how that works with his commitments as a Reservist. Here’s what he told us.
“I joined DHU from the Yorkshire Ambulance Service in April 2021 as a Paramedic Practitioner and work out of our Urgent Treatment Centres at the Chesterfield Royal Hospital, New Mills and Ashgate Medical Centre. At that time, I wasn’t aware of other DHU Reservists and when I mentioned about time commitments for training and deployment, there were no policies in place, but that has now definitely changed.
“After qualifying as a paramedic, I became an RAF reservist in 2016. I have always had an interest in the military and, whilst working with West Midlands Ambulance Service, one of my mentors discussed his roles as a full-time and reservist medic with the army and RAF and inspired me to join the RAF medical reserves. My initial motivation was to use my training and skills in a different environment and broaden my knowledge.”
"Training exercises arond the world"
“I am part of the 4626 Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron at Brize Norton, which is one of four reserve medical squadrons in the UK and which is involved in a variety of activities alongside our full-time RAF counterparts. The squadron’s central role is to support operational medical capabilities, including aeromedical evacuation from the point of injury through to repatriation back to the UK and the provision of pre-hospital and primary health care. We’ve been involved in aeromedical evacuation during conflicts, providing medical support for military training exercises around the world and humanitarian operations. These have included hurricane relief, repatriation of UK citizens with COVID-19, treatment of patients with Ebola in Sierra Leone and the evacuation of personnel from Afghanistan.
“My RAF commitment is 27 days per year: 12 service days and 15 continuous training days. We undertake scenario-based military medical training to keep our knowledge up-to-date and prepare for military courses. This includes Immediate Life Support, Paediatric Immediate Life Support, Advanced Trauma Life Support, Pre-Hospital Emergency Care, Military Emergency Response Team and Aeromedical Evacuation. In addition, we participate in teamwork exercises, leadership and adventurous training.
“I have recently returned from the USA, supporting a parachute training exercise. My main responsibility was to provide initial treatment to any injured personnel but, fortunately, nobody was hurt and instead I was able to use the skills I have learned in my role with DHU to treat personnel for primary care complaints or refer them to relevant specialities.
"I appreciate DHU and the RAF working together"
“DHU and the RAF work together to support me during a mobilisation such as this one. The RAF pay my wages, employer pension contributions and any additional costs incurred by DHU such as agency staff to cover my role, advertising, recruitment and training. Meanwhile DHU temporarily stops my pay run, keeps my role for me until I get back and then supports me in returning to work. It is a brilliant arrangement that works well for all concerned and I appreciate DHU and the RAF working together to make this work.
“In a recent development, I am to be mobilised under 4626 Squadron’s new initiative of the High Readiness Reserve concept. I will spend one or two months on call, during which I would be given 48 hours’ notice to support a military aeromedical task. I could be called upon outside of these times to support a significant national or international crisis such as a hurricane in the British protectorate islands of the Caribbean or, as we have seen recently, the humanitarian disaster in Turkey and Syria.
“Things have evolved at DHU and the support provided to me was invaluable to ensuring I could fulfil my obligations. During the continuous training for example, I was able to take five days additional paid leave and five days unpaid leave, which enabled me to use my annual leave for pleasure to keep that work-life balance. I’ve also had a great deal of support in terms of coming back to work following my six weeks in the USA.
“The skills that I have learnt as a Reservist, particularly leadership and different kinds of medical training have enhanced my skills as a Paramedic. By extension, the skills I use daily as a Paramedic are invaluable to the Armed Forces and provide specialised experience that they can use at times of need. The roles complement each other very well and my confidence to work in a variety of locations and teams, to take on various roles and to work in a calm and methodical manner in unexpected and high-stress situations has increased.
“I’m pleased to work for an organisation that supports this kind of commitment and look forward to what’s still to come.”