Image via WikipediaSo far, I've spent a lot of time talking about the Tidworth of the past. I've also spent some time, albeit a long time ago, talking about Tedworth House. You'll remember that Tidworth started out in life as Tedworth.
Over the years, Tedworth House had fallen into a state of disrepair. Not too badly though, so that it wasn't salvageable. If you watch the attached video you'll be able to see the result of many people's work in turning it into the perfect home for Help For Heroes and the programme set up to work with those members of our Armed Forces that need help to either get back to work within the Armed Forces, or to find their way back into civilian life, as painlessly as possible. The feature was first shown on BFBS Television in November 2011.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2xgrJK-MhM&feature=youtube_gdata_player
One of the real joys, for me was achieving Operating Theatre Technician Class 1 status. An even greater joy was working in the hospital Casualty Department. Achieving Class 1 status did not automatically invest us with the sudden power of healing the sick or damaged, or even the occasional malingerer. The in depth training which included anatomy and physiology, anaesthetic and emergency routines, combined with the nurse training gained before entering theatre, gave us a substantial level of ability that could be employed in such a place. I wouldn't want anyone running away with the idea that I, and my colleagues were suddenly let loose on an unsuspecting public without supervision and ongoing training and development.
Image via Wikipedia
A further skill developed during Theatre Technician training was the correct application of plaster (of Paris) casts for arm and leg fractures or immobilisation required due to persistent Chondromalasia Patellae etc, Back Slabs, Minerva (head/neck immobilisation) Plaster Jacket (spine) as well as making Plaster Beds. As well as the application of casts etc, we were trained in the safe removal of the same. These skills were ideal, as we were able to treat patients in the Casualty Department and reduce waiting times as well as making appointments for them to attend Fracture Clinic or even return to Casualty for review.
The Casualty Department was managed, very efficiently and expertly, by a civilian Sister with many years of experience. Her name;Sister Mary Bonner. Any of my colleagues reading this who spent time at Tidworth Military Hospital, will know of her and her reputation. Her knowledge was legendary. Her ability to manage we Technicians and to ensure that we followed all the then current protocols, was beyond doubt. She ran a very tight ship, ensuring that the emergency areas were returned to a state of total orderliness following an emergency and that the department was always "able to be responsive."
There was, as well as a treatment room, doctors office and store area, an Operating Theatre. It was equipped to the same standards as the main theatre and very busy. Besides its' use as a busy Casualty Theatre, it was used for routine pre-booked minor ops surgery such as Local ties to varicose veins, excision of external hemorrhoids and enucleation of sebaceous cysts. While these cases may not exactly fill everyone with joy, they were the daily bread and butter of a busy General Hospital-and they still are.
As well as the above, Examination Under Anaesthetic (EUA) and Manipulation Under Anaesthetic (MUA) were also popular and frequently performed, by day and by night.
The Hospital was close to the A303, an exceptionally busy road. It was also positioned between Andover and Salisbury and took in its share of casualties from road accidents. It would be easy to spend time listing a whole range of injuries, suffice it to say though, Tidworth Military Hospital Casualty Department performed the same role as bigger hospitals, and just as efficiently. It wasn't just confined to coping with road accidents of course-there was more to it than that. Just like any other similar department it had it's fair share of drunks, overdoses, fractures and so on. It certainly pulled it's weight!!
All in all, the life of an Operating Theatre Technician was a busy one. My favourite times were spent working in Casualty. If I had been given a choice I would have reverted back to nursing and remained a member of casualty staff.
I loved every minute of my experiences in Tidworth. This was not necessarily the case for some of my subsequent experiences.
