Army skills helped Shropshire nurse with Covid jab centre

The military training given to reservists such as Lt Col Carl Meyer and Warrant Officer Rebecca Warren is said to benefit the NHS

A Shropshire nurse says skills learnt as an army reservist helped her vaccinate people during the pandemic.

Warrant Officer Rebecca Warren, a nurse at The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital (RJAH), serves with 202 (Midlands) Field Hospital.

"The leadership and organisational skills I've developed in the army proved to be really valuable," she said.

Reservists make up about one sixth of armed forces personnel.

The nurse was asked to set up and run a vaccination centre at the hospital, near Oswestry, during the Covid-19 pandemic and said her army skills were essential.

"I was doing something I was not used to, in an environment that was not familiar to me," she added.

Ms Warren is currently taking part in a two-week annual training camp, a requirement for all army reservists.

Alongside RJAH colleagues Lt Col Carl Meyer, a consultant orthopaedic surgeon, and Capt Helen Weavers, a physio, she will experience simulations of mass-casualty events.

"[It] is designed to make sure we are competent at dealing with anything we might face on active duty," Ms Warren said.

Ms Warren said the trio had learned transferrable skills as reservists, which added value to their roles in the NHS.

"It's really benefitted me in my profession as a nurse [and] I've had a lot of fun along the way," she added.

Lt Col Carl Meyer met the Duchess of Edinburgh when she opened the veteran treatment centre at the RJAH

The RJAH's dedicated Veterans' Orthopaedic Centre opened in April, a project led by Lt Col Meyer.

Stacey Keegan, Chief Executive at RJAH, said the trio were "exceptional members of staff" whose commitment to the NHS and armed forces was to be admired.

Flags have been raised across the UK to mark Armed Forces Week, with reservists recognised on Wednesday and Armed Forces Day celebrated on Saturday.