Pathfinder International Magazine – the leading UK Military Resettlement Magazine

Tag: COVID-19

  • Thousands Of Military Personnel Supporting Covid-19 Response

    Thousands Of Military Personnel Supporting Covid-19 Response

    Defence medics supporting all four nations of the United Kingdom as part of Operation Rescript.

    • 60 defence medics will be deployed to support hospitals in need across Northern Ireland
    • Armed Forces personnel are now providing support in all of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
    • Over 1,500 personnel conducting 23 tasks across the UK

    With the deployment of defence medics to hospitals in Northern Ireland, the Armed Forces are now providing support within all four nations of the United Kingdom as part of Operation Rescript.

    60 defence medics will support NHS hospitals across Northern Ireland and personnel are expected to be on task for around four weeks, helping deliver front-line services in intensive care units, emergency departments and respiratory wards.

    Military support in hospitals has stepped up amid ongoing staff shortages due to Covid-19.

    Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said:

    Our Armed Forces are supporting all four corners of the UK as we work to overcome this pandemic and ensure communities and the NHS are able to rebuild.

    I’m proud of our personnel from across all services for their talent, hard work and perseverance throughout the pandemic.

    Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis said:

    The UK Government is providing assistance to Northern Ireland at a crucial time, when healthcare capacity is urgently required to continue treating patients during the Covid pandemic.

    The support of military colleagues to help with this vital work demonstrates the Government’s continuing commitment to meet the needs of the whole of the United Kingdom, including Northern Ireland.

    Support is being provided through the Military Assistance to the Civil Authorities (MACA) process. There are 23 open Operation Rescript tasks with 1,985 personnel assigned to provide support. Since March 2020, Defence has responded to over 440 MACA requests across the UK.

    Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said:

    I am immensely grateful to the thousands of military personnel providing crucial support to the NHS and its hardworking staff.

    Armed forces members are being deployed in a range of roles across the UK – from ambulance drivers and front-line support in hospitals, to assisting the vaccine rollout.

    In England, 285 personnel continue to support the vaccine rollout.

    Ambulance services are also being supported across England, with 170 personnel supporting the North West Ambulance Service, 112 providing support to the Yorkshire Ambulance Service and 69 to the East Midlands Ambulance Service.

    In Wales, 313 Armed Forces members are continuing to support the Welsh Ambulance Service NHS Trust, increasing the resilience of emergency responders during the winter period.

    66 personnel are currently supporting the vaccine rollout in Wales, a task that runs until mid-February.

    In Scotland, 96 personnel are on task in support of the Scottish Ambulance Service until the end of March. Additionally, there are nearly 100 currently supporting NHS hospitals in Scotland with support to the vaccine rollout there as well; both tasks will draw down during February.

    The Armed Forces stand ready to step up and support civil authorities, devolved nations and communities as required in the coming months where the requests meet the MACA principles.

    Image: Crown Copyright 2020.

  • Hundreds Of Military Personnel Deploy To Support Scotland’s Covid-19 Response

    Hundreds Of Military Personnel Deploy To Support Scotland’s Covid-19 Response

    225 Armed Forces personnel will be deployed to support the Scottish Ambulance Service in the fight against COVID-19 from Saturday.

    The UK Government has approved the support through the Military Assistance to the Civil Authority (MACA) process, following a request from the Scotland Office, working with Scottish Government. The Ministry of Defence will provide 114 people to augment ambulance drivers and a further 111 personnel who will operate Mobile Testing Units which the military previously supported in 2020.

    Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said:

    “Our Armed Forces are once again stepping up, demonstrating their versatility as we support the Covid-19 response across the UK. We are proud to work alongside the dedicated men and women at the Scottish Ambulance Service as they continue to provide a lifesaving service to the people of Scotland.

    “Our commitment to provide rapid support to communities and civil authorities is being delivered alongside the deployment of thousands of personnel on operations around the world.”

    114 personnel, including drivers and support staff, will provide resilience to the Scottish Ambulance Service by carrying out non-emergency driving work, and each will be paired with a clinical professional. They will start in role from the 25th September and are expected to be on task for a couple of months. The support will focus on the central belt of Scotland, primarily Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Ayrshire and Arran, Fife and Edinburgh.

    Alister Jack, Scottish Secretary said:

    “Our fantastic British Armed Forces have played a key role in the fight against Covid-19 across the UK and it is admirable to see them once supporting crucial public services in Scotland in times of need.

    “The dedication and professionalism of the 225 personnel being deployed will be invaluable for the Scottish Ambulance Service and Covid Mobile Testing Units.

    “We are grateful for all their efforts to keep us safe. As we have continued to see throughout the pandemic, the strength of the Union and support offered by the UK Government has never been more important.”

    An additional 111 service personnel, including from 2 Scots, will deploy to support the continued delivery of Mobile Testing Units to help identify infections and break chains of transmission. The military have significant experience of setting up and running testing programmes across the UK including in Scotland last year. The support will be provided primarily around Glasgow and Edinburgh and personnel will start their task by Wednesday 29thSeptember.

    Brigadier Ben Wrench, Commander of Joint Military Command Scotland said:

    “The Armed Forces in Scotland continue to support the Scottish Government’s response to the pandemic. We are working closely with the Scottish Government and Scottish Ambulance Service, following their requests for assistance with drivers and Mobile Testing Units.

    “Our servicemen and women, drawn from units in Scotland and elsewhere, are always proud to support the NHS and the other emergency services. Opportunities like this allow the Armed Forces to demonstrate their adaptability and teamwork in providing assistance to local communities.”

    The military have supported Scottish communities with the response to Covid-19 throughout the pandemic through the MACA process including military liaison officers who have worked alongside local resilience teams and the Scottish Government. The military also provided advice on the construction of the NHS Louisa Jordan facility in central Glasgow, set up and ran testing programmes and latterly vaccination centres across Scotland which saw Armed Forces personnel vaccinate over 100,000 people. The military have also been involved in logistics and planning support. The Armed Forces stand ready to step up and support civil authorities, devolved nations and communities as required in the coming months.

  • Royal Navy And RAF Combine Efforts To Deliver Vaccines To World’s Most Remote Overseas Territory

    Royal Navy And RAF Combine Efforts To Deliver Vaccines To World’s Most Remote Overseas Territory

    UK Armed Forces have transported coronavirus vaccines to the Overseas Territory of Tristan da Cunha – the most remote inhabited island in the world.

    For the first time, the Royal Navy assisted the RAF and Strategic Command in a 6-day operation this month to the isolated South Atlantic island community.

    An RAF Voyager aircraft made the 8,000 mile trip from RAF Brize Norton to the Falkland Islands, via Dakar in Senegal to refuel, before HMS Forth sailed the 2,000 mile voyage to Tristan da Cunha.

    Delivered on behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and Crown Agents, enough doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine have now been delivered to the island to cover the entire adult population.

    Minister for the Armed Forces, James Heappey said:

    “This operation to transport vaccines to one of the most remote parts of the world, reaffirms our commitment to the people of our Overseas Territories.

    The Armed Forces take great pride in supporting our people, at home or abroad, whenever and wherever needed. I am immensely proud of all Royal Navy and RAF personnel involved in this mission and the role they have played in helping to deliver vaccines to the people of Tristan da Cunha safely and quickly.”

    Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Minister, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon said:

    “I am proud of the support the UK has given its Overseas Territories during a horrendous year.

    In total the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has delivered over three million items of medical equipment to the Overseas Territories since March last year. They have organised delivery of lifesaving vaccines to all of the inhabited Overseas Territories. This has been no small logistical, physical or diplomatic feat and I have been incredibly impressed by the work of local administrations in rolling out our world-leading vaccination programmes.”

    The remote volcanic island has fortunately had no confirmed cases of Covid-19. However, with a population of just over 200 and with its nearest neighbour over 1,500 miles away, the island would have faced a variety of challenges should Covid-19 have hit.

    The delivery, which arrived on 21 April, will ensure the island’s entire adult population who wish to can be immunised against coronavirus.

    Bryan Richmond, Covid Response Lead at Crown Agents, said:

    “We are immensely proud to have been part of the team to have made this mission possible. Delivering Covid vaccines is a delicate matter: They have to be stored at specific temperatures throughout their journey- remote destinations are especially difficult since the vaccines travel 10000 miles by air, ship and road and are exposed to significant climatic temperature changes. The team has achieved this, and it is Crown Agents’ mission to continue to ensure that isolated communities such as TDC are not left behind in the fight against Covid-19.”

    The operation was a huge logistical challenge, made more complex by the need to store and transport the vaccine at an ambient temperature so that the vaccines remained at between 2⁰C and 8⁰C throughout its transfer.

    Vaccines were stored in specialised fridges on board HMS Forth, with the temperature checked regularly by the crew. They were then moved from ship-to-shore inside a temperature controlled container, before being safely stored in the fridges at Tristan da Cunha hospital.

    This is the first time the Royal Navy has assisted with the transportation of vaccines, ensuring the vital doses were onboard the ship within 90 minutes of the RAF aircraft touching down in the Falklands.

    Commander British Forces South Atlantic Islands, Commodore Jonathan Lett said:

    “The entire operation has been a great team effort from start to finish. I am hugely proud of every member of the BFSAI team involved in all elements of this epic journey”.

    HMS Forth is currently deployed in the South Atlantic, and has patrolled the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and Tristan da Cunha during the course of the last month.

    Earlier this year, the RAF transported vaccines to Gibraltar, the Falkland Islands, Ascension Island in support of the FCDO’s vaccine rollout to the Overseas Territories.

    Tristan da Cunha belongs to the most remote groups of inhabited islands in the world. The island itself has a long-standing connection with the UK Armed Forces dating back to World War Two, when the whole island was commissioned by the Royal Navy as a U-Boat monitoring outpost and a signals intelligence station named HMS ATLANTIC ISLE.

    Images: Crown Copyright 2021.

  • Powering The Digital Future Of The Defence Sector Through Lifelong Learning

    Powering The Digital Future Of The Defence Sector Through Lifelong Learning

    Pam Barber, Head of Business Development for Defence at The Open University writes for Pathfinder International on the future of education within military circles.

    The coronavirus pandemic continues to supercharge digital transformation across organisations, including the defence sector. The need for digital skills has never been more apparent, amplified by the PM’s announcement last November – £16.5 billion funding over the next four years will lead to a “once-in-a-generation modernisation” of the Armed Forces.

    The opportunity to develop and invest in the skills and careers of Armed Forces personnel and the wider sector is certainly there. It’s now down to educators, leaders, employers and employees themselves, to identify the challenges and opportunities to make this vision a reality.

    The future is digital

    According to The Open University’s Business Barometer report, 56 per cent of employers suggested that the digital skills available to their organisation need to be improved in order to survive the next twelve months.

    Championing cutting-edge digital skills has long been a priority for the defence sector. It was indicated that the aforementioned funding would bring about investment in new technology such as a new centre dedicated to artificial intelligence, the creation of a national cyber force, and a new RAF space command launching British satellites.

    However, the Business Barometer also found that skills gaps are extremely costly for organisations to fill. The report found that costs such as recruitment fees and high salaries for ready-made talent cost UK employers £6.6 billion over a twelve-month period to September 2020.

    With exciting technological advancements on the horizon, we need to ensure that employees have the skills necessary to harness the sector’s ever growing tech potential. At The Open University (OU), we believe that developing talent, unlocking potential and widening the talent pool is a more sustainable way of growing the skills needed for the future – whether that that be for new or existing employees.

    Lifelong learning

    The Armed Forces already provides significant training and education as part of the normal career progression.

    Nevertheless, when it comes to learning new skills, the pandemic could pave the way for a step change in how the nation embraces lifelong learning. Looking at data from our own OpenLearn free learning platform, across all sectors we have seen a huge increase in online employee learning during the pandemic. STEM courses specifically have seen remarkable growth in terms of enrolment numbers: our Learn to code for data analysis course has seen a twelve-fold increase in course starts when comparing 2019 figures (2,500) to 2020 data (14,000) for instance.

    The OU also has a rich heritage in providing self-directed, flexible education to Armed Forces personnel through the Enhanced Learning Credits programme. Our experience over the last few years has been that self-directed learning trends towards STEM subjects. At the OU, 66 per cent of forces personnel who embarked on study with us last year took on STEM subjects – a rise of 24 per cent since 2015/2016. The most popular areas of study are Engineering, followed by Computing and Communications and Maths and Statistics. This suggests that this period of uncertainty saw learners embrace the disruption of the pandemic as an opportunity to drive forward their careers and fill crucial skills gaps within the defence sector, or beyond.

    Continued development

    Leaders and educators have the opportunity to utilise this appetite for learning. The strong interest in digital and wider STEM subjects is exciting – especially at a time when we need to recognise we are likely to have multiple careers and need to continually update, develop and sometimes realign our skillsets.

    For learners, programmes such as Enhanced Learning Credits, and the learning and development offered in the wider sector has never been more critical. Education and lifelong learning are essential for the sector to sustainably grow and bring the ambitious plans set out in the recent funding announcements to fruition.

    Taken from the April 2021 issue of Pathfinder International. Read the entire issue HERE for free.

  • RAF Transport Oxford AstraZeneca Vaccine To Ascension Island In The South Atlantic Ocean

    RAF Transport Oxford AstraZeneca Vaccine To Ascension Island In The South Atlantic Ocean

    Pictured are RAF movers at RAF Brize Norton loading Oxford AstraZeneca vaccines onto a LXX Squadron (70 Sqn) ATLAS (A400M) bound for the UK Overseas Territory, Ascension Islands.

    Earlier this week, a LXX Squadron (70 Sqn) RAF A400M aircraft transported doses of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine to Ascension Island – a UK Overseas Territories in the South Atlantic Ocean.

    Due to its remote location and small population of just over 800 contractors and military personnel, it will become the first island to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19.

    Wing Commander Lee Roberts, Officer Commanding 70 Squadron at RAF Brize Norton, said:

    “The role of the RAF is multipurpose. From the moment that the vaccines arrive at the front gate of RAF Brize Norton, the Brize Norton machine kicks into gear.

    “The RAF is well placed to deliver and manage this vaccine delivery, and we’re extremely proud to be a part of providing this support to our Overseas Territories.”

    Upon departing RAF Brize Norton, the vaccine must only be out refrigeration for a maximum of 72 hours, before entering refrigeration in Ascension Island again and must be stored at between 2-8 degrees. After a quick refuelling stop on route, the crew delivered the precious cargo into the safe hands of RAF movers on the ground, which later was given to the Ascension Island Government to begin distribution.

    Flying Officer George Cox, Officer Commanding Cargo at RAF Brize Norton, said:

    “This delivery was extremely important because the RAF can get out to remote locations that commercial aircraft can not necessarily access. Places like Ascension Island are notoriously difficult to get to, the RAF bridge the gap and try and help where we can.”

    Delivered on behalf of the FCDO, the delivery reaffirms the UK Government’s commitment to supporting its Overseas Territories.

  • A Talk On: Supporting Children And Young People During A Crisis Presented By SSAFA Online

    A Talk On: Supporting Children And Young People During A Crisis Presented By SSAFA Online

    Saturday 6 March 2021, SSAFA Online will present a talk on supporting children and young people during a crisis with Sara Cook and Joe Wilmot.

    The virtual online talk is available to all SSAFA’s three support groups or those who are eligible to be a member of the groups. For further information, please go to: ssafa.org.uk/get-help/militaryfamilies/bereavement-support-groups

    This session will focus on:

    • Giving an explanation on how children and young people react to trauma and crisis

    • Tools for providing practical support to children and young people

    The talk will be led by Sara Cook and Joe Wilmot.

    Sara is a lecturer and field director for the Conflict Transformation Certificate Program at St. Mary’s University, Texas. Sara’s work has involved facilitating dialogue and storytelling encounters with diverse groups of people impacted by the conflict in Northern Ireland, including former security forces, ex-prisoners and those bereaved or injured. She also provides training in trauma-informed resiliency work to mental health practitioners, educators and non-profit leaders, training people from all around the world.

    Joe is a highly experienced and qualified practitioner, working as a trainer, supervisor, coach, mediator and mentor. From frontline delivery to management, he has experience of working in the Third Sector and over a decade of working for a local authority in Youth Services, Education and Family Services.

    To attend, please register by emailing by Friday 26 February: supportgroups@ssafa.org.uk

  • Over 350 Additional Military Personnel Deployed In Scottish Covid Response

    Over 350 Additional Military Personnel Deployed In Scottish Covid Response

    Private McLean from 3 Medical Regiment administers a vaccine to a patient. Image was taken at The Event Campus Aberdeen, in Scotland.

    A further 353 Armed Forces personnel will deploy to locations across Scotland as part of the continuing military support to the testing and vaccine delivery programmes.

    In the largest single deployment of military personnel in Scotland since the start of the pandemic, the uplift will take the total number of Armed Forces personnel supporting the Covid response in Scotland to 466.

    Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said:

     “The UK Armed Forces have demonstrated their professionalism and resilience throughout this pandemic.

    They are dedicated to delivering support to the fingertips of these islands and the increase of personnel in Scotland shows our commitment to assist the civil authorities wherever and whenever needed in the fight against Covid-19.”

    An additional 33 defence medical staff, from across all three services, will join their 57 colleagues already working as part of the Vaccine Quick Reaction Force. Split across three vaccination teams, military personnel will assist NHS staff at vaccination centres in Dumfries and Galloway and Fife.

    Health Secretary Matt Hancock said:

     “The vaccine roll out is the largest medical deployment this country has ever seen. I’m grateful for the efforts of our armed forces as we work together as one United Kingdom to make sure everyone eligible can get their jab as quickly as possible.

    “The strength of our Union is never clearer than in the power of our united response, and with over 13 million people vaccinated across the whole of the UK, we are on track to meet our target of offering a first dose to the top four priority groups by 15 February.”

    As part of the Scottish Government’s programme of Asymptomatic Testing a total 320 personnel, from Regiments based across Scotland, will support the roll out from 15 February.

    170 personnel from the 39 Engineer Regiment, based at Kinloss Barracks, and 75 personnel from both the 2nd Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers and the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, based at Leuchars Station, will now spend an initial week planning and preparing, before helping administer the tests the following week.

    Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said:

    “Our fantastic British Armed Forces have played a key role in the fight against Covid-19 in Scotland – from coordinating the emergency response in the early days of the pandemic, to setting up testing sites in the summer, and assisting with the first vaccination centres. We are grateful for all their efforts to keep us safe and help defeat the virus.

    “Getting jabs into arms is essential, and I am grateful that military personnel will continue to help with Scotland’s vital vaccination programme.

    “Alongside the rollout of vaccines, testing remains extremely important. I am pleased that the expertise of our armed forces will help set up Scotland’s new asymptomatic testing programme.

    “As we continue to see during the pandemic, the strength of the Union and support offered by the UK Government has never been more important.”

    The Armed Forces have supported Scotland in a range of ways throughout the pandemic; currently 32 planning and liaison staff are working with NHS Scotland and the Scottish Government. 24 logistic support staff, mostly from Edinburgh-based 3rd Battalion The Rifles, are also assisting health boards run vaccination centres in Grampian, Dumfries and Galloway, Borders and Lothian. 

    The 98 members of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards already deployed to help set up 80 Vaccine Centres across Scotland will successfully complete their task on Monday, when they handover the sites to NHS Scotland.

    Since March 2020, the UK Armed Forces have provided Scotland with planners, logistics specialists and aircraft medical evacuation capability, as well as the delivery of a Mobile Testing Unit service throughout last summer.

    Across the UK there are over 5,200 personnel committed to winter and COVID-19 operations are supporting 80 different tasks in the UK and abroad – this includes the vaccine rollout, NHS support and community testing across the UK.

  • Tri-Service Reserve Force Joins Fight Against Covid In Greater Manchester

    Tri-Service Reserve Force Joins Fight Against Covid In Greater Manchester

    A member of each the British Army (Kingsman Bennett (front)), Royal Air Force (Leading Aircraftwoman Terrey (left)), Royal Navy (Lieutenant Cabra-Netherton (back)) and Royal Marines (Marine Cooney (right)) stand outside the temporary Covid-19 testing centre at Trafford Town Hall, Manchester on 04/02/21. 

    Reservists from all three military services have joined the fight against Covid19 in Greater Manchester.

    Our Reserve Forces have been providing a valuable contribution to the various strands of assistance to civil authorities since early last year, but this is the first time a formed force of this size, comprised solely of Reservists has been generated for a bespoke task. Each element is integrated with a Regular Army unit headquarters already supporting delivery of community testing in Greater Manchester.

    A total of 82 Reserve personnel have been deployed, with the Army component of 29 soldiers drawn from 4th Battalion, The Lancashire Regiment (4 LANCS), The Queen’s Own Yeomanry and 8th Battalion, The Rifles. They will be integrated with C Coy, 1st Battalion The Rifles, which is already on task in Manchester, and will be supporting Oldham Council.

    The Royal Air Force Reserves has 41 personnel from 611 Squadron integrated with C Squadron, The Royal Lancers in Salford and the Maritime Reserves element, integrated with Waterloo Company, 4th Battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland in Trafford, consists of four Royal Naval Reserves and eight Royal Marines Reserves in Trafford.

    Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: “I’m proud that Reservists from all three services, many from Manchester itself, have answered the call to step up and support their local community. These soldiers, sailors and air personnel have joined the largest UK Armed Forces homeland deployment in peacetime and will be working alongside Greater Manchester Combined Authority to test at-risk members of the community.”

    Colonel Russ Miller, OBE, Commander Army Headquarters North West, said: “I am delighted to welcome Reserve components from all three Services to join the ongoing military support to Greater Manchester’s Targeted Testing at Scale project. As the military support continues into its second month, the Reserves will play an increasingly important part of the project, both carrying on with the delivery of Asymptomatic Testing, and training each Borough’s follow-on workforce to develop testing capability for the longer-term.”

    Kingsman Michael Bennett, from 4 LANCS, who works for a Top 40 law firm, said: “My manager is extremely proud that I’m a Reservist and contributing to this operation. Everyone wants to get back to normal and anything we can do to speed that up. As soon as the call came in, I was ready to start on task the next day.”

    Leading Aircraftman Gemma Terrey, based at RAF Woodvale, is currently studying a Masters in psychological wellbeing and clinical practice in Manchester and intends to apply for a traineeship in the NHS next year. She said: “Everyone has been really inspired by the NHS workers over the last year and it would be nice to be a part of that. It’s a great experience as a Reservist to be integrated with the NHS.”

    Marine Ross Cooney, from the Royal Marines Reserve, Merseyside Detachment, who owns a performance and consultancy business, said: “I was fortunate last year to be part of the mobilisation to help with this and to be able to do it again has been very rewarding. The great thing about the Reserves is that we are able to manage our time really well and bring our experiences outside of the military. It’s also great working alongside the regulars.

    Lieutenant Kevin Cabra-Netherton, from HMS Ceres, a travel business owner, who was previously a Warfare Officer in the regular Royal Navy, said: “The great thing about the Reserves is that you get people from all walks of life and such broad backgrounds that you have such a broad spectrum of skills and expertise. Any opportunity to work alongside the regular forces is really great for our broader development and it’s good to learn about what the other services are doing. On an operation like this, it doesn’t matter what background you are from, we are all doing the same job and working towards the same goal.”

    The Reserves force will be on task until 26th February.

     

  • Additional 81 Military Personnel Deploy To Scotland To Support COVID Vaccination Roll-Out

    Additional 81 Military Personnel Deploy To Scotland To Support COVID Vaccination Roll-Out

    Armed Forces personnel will administer the vaccine in Scotland for the first time, as the number of military personnel increases to over 200 supporting the rollout.

    A further 57 military personnel will deploy to assist health boards across Scotland with the vaccine roll out, this is in addition to the 98 members of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards who are already supporting the vaccine effort.

    The medics and management staff will make up a Vaccine Quick Reaction Force, which will see 5 teams of 10 able to deploy across Scotland at short notice, in order to assist NHS staff in delivering the vaccine. Teams will start deploying from tomorrow with some beginning to see patients immediately, including supporting Lothian Health Board by administering vaccinations at the Royal Highland Showground.

    Up to 24 logistic support staff, mostly from Edinburgh-based 3rd Battalion The Rifles, will assist Health Boards running of vaccination centres in Grampian, Dumfries and Galloway, Borders and Lothian.

    Defence Minister Baroness Goldie said:

    The Armed Forces are an important part of the vaccine roll out in Scotland. They lift spirits and boost morale and I am delighted that they will be joining together with our marvellous health-care workers to ensure the vaccine is delivered to as many people as possible, as quickly as possible to protect the most vulnerable.

    Our service men and women have provided expertise, resilience and flexibility to NHS Scotland in this huge logistical undertaking and these additional medics will provide surge support where it is most needed to administer the vaccine.

    Minister for COVID vaccine Deployment Nadhim Zahawi said:

    Our Armed Forces are playing an invaluable role in helping ensure those most at risk get their jabs, working side by side with healthcare staff in a truly UK-wide effort.

    We are distributing the vaccine as quickly as possible across all parts of the UK and almost 10 million people have now received their first dose.

    The pace and progress of our rollout shows the strength of our union and how much we can achieve by pulling together as one United Kingdom.

    The Joint Military Command in Scotland already has 98 members of the Fife-based Royal Scots Dragoon Guards on the ground, assisting health boards with the set-up of up to 80 vaccination centres across Scotland. They are currently working on sites at the Lagoon Centre in Paisley Donald Dewar Sports Centre in Drumchapel and Castlemilk Sports Centre in Glasgow, all 80 will be handed over to NHS Scotland. Additionally, 32 planning and support personnel are supporting the Scottish Government and local health boards.

    Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said:

    The British Armed Forces are carrying out vital work to support the rollout of vaccines across Scotland. Nearly 100 military personnel are already setting up 80 Scottish vaccine centres, and from this week an additional 57 will also be helping to get needles into arms. More are on standby to help with testing, which is still so important. I would like to thank all of our fantastic military personnel for their great work in helping fight the pandemic, right across the UK.

    The military has been involved in supporting Scotland’s response to the COVID pandemic since March 2020, providing planners, logistics specialists and aircraft medical evacuation capability, as well as the delivery of a Mobile Testing Unit service throughout the summer of 2020.

    Across the UK there is over 5,200 personnel committed to winter and COVID-19 operations are supporting 80 different tasks in the UK and abroad – this includes the vaccine rollout, NHS support and community testing across the UK

  • Vaccines Quick Reaction Force Training For Military

    Vaccines Quick Reaction Force Training For Military

    Serving personnel are briefed on the vaccination journey by NHS staff.

    Military personnel from the Royal Navy and RAF have been undertaking training from the NHS at Ashton Gate Football Ground in Bristol today in order to validate them as a Vaccines Quick Reaction Force (V-QRF) to support of NHS in the South West of England.

    The V-QRF will be rolled out nationally and is made up of medically trained personnel who will vaccinate people on a needs basis. This means personnel will be engaged only when required and requested by the NHS in a ‘surge’ capacity.

    The V-QRFs are made up of 21 teams, 3 to each of the 7 NHS regions. Each region is to be given a Medical Support Officer (MSO) who will manage three 6 person teams and will link into their regional Joint Military Command (JMC).

    The Medics underwent familiarisation of the patient pathway, working areas and undertook vaccination procedures on dummy arms.