NHS Lanarkshire has given a farewell salute to the British Army, who helped the health board’s “battle planning” in the fight against coronavirus.
Ministry of Defence liaison officer Captain Dan Phillips has stood down after four months stationed at NHS Lanarkshire headquarters in Bothwell, providing vital assistance as measures were put in place to tackle COVID-19.
He initially worked with Army colleague Major Jonny Howse but later became the sole liaison officer, living in accommodation at University Hospital Wishaw.
Drawing on the planning expertise he gained during training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, Captain Phillips gave advice and guidance to senior health board colleagues as they faced the challenge of the virus.
Captain Phillips, who was a learning development officer with the Army’s education branch in Edinburgh before his health board deployment, explained: “A military officer is trained to develop plans related to fighting battles but that can be applied to other scenarios.
“A lot of my input was with the chief executive and senior medical and nursing colleagues. We attended meetings to provide advice and guidance and, as someone with a background in education, I was keen that we should not only record the actions taken but also learn from them as much as possible.
“We liaised with NHS Lanarkshire’s resilience team and attended the virus response Gold Command meetings of senior health board leaders.
“I was impressed by the commitment of all the staff to work round the clock and employ forward-thinking solutions.”
Captain Phillips also visited NHS Lanarkshire’s central depot at University Hospital Hairmyres in East Kilbride, where deliveries of personal protective equipment (PPE) were managed.
He said: “It was clear there was a commitment to ensuring staff had all the PPE they needed to do their job. At the time I was there, over 2000 deliveries had taken place, with not a single one being missed. I visited with a colleague who is a logistics expert and we were both extremely impressed by the level of detail and care, which would almost certainly rival some commercial companies.
“Latterly, I worked with the director of public health and his team as they planned and introduced Test and Protect measures.”
Captain Phillips and Major Howse also provided assistance when the funeral cortege of NHS Lanarkshire colleague Kirsty Jones passed outside University Hospital Wishaw following her sad death from coronavirus.
He recalled: “It was important that appropriate social distancing measures were observed as staff gathered to pay their respects, so we gave planning advice to the site director and chief nurse for that very sad occasion.”
Following his time at NHS Lanarkshire, Captain Phillips, who is a reservist, is to train to become a regular Army officer.
NHS Lanarkshire interim chief executive Heather Knox said: “I’d like to thank Captain Phillips and Major Howse for their invaluable support and input as we faced the daily challenges that COVID-19 brought. I’d also like to wish Captain Phillips the very best as he enters the next stage of his career with the Army.”
