From resuscitation to bomb disposal - life as an Army Reservist
On Armed Forces Day we’re celebrating the people within the Trust who go above and beyond to support the Armed Forces community locally, and overseas.
Bill Pasquier is Royal Surrey’s Resuscitation Service Manager but he also enjoys the challenge of a second career as an Army reservist.
Originally joining the NHS as a member of the ambulance service, passionate about working in healthcare, Bill also had a long-standing desire to contribute in some way to the Armed Forces.
He successfully applied to become part of the Army Reserve, which provides support to the Regular Army on almost every major operation, at home and abroad. The Army Reserve also enables people with specialist skills, such as medics and engineers, to use them in new and exciting ways.
Bill chose to train as a Bomb Disposal and High Assurance Search Engineer, to dispel the mystery behind how it is done, and learn a highly specialist skillset that saves lives and improves communities worldwide.
As part of Royal Surrey’s commitment to supporting the Armed Forces community, staff can take special leave for training and exercises, and it was this flexibility that allowed Bill to undergo the rigorous preparation and training needed for the role.
He has also qualified as a small arms instructor, teaching battlefield first aid and more advanced medical care to various parts of the Ministry of Defense.
The NHS’s flexibility has seen Bill supporting the Regular Army on exercise in countries all over the world, the most memorable being working and living in the bush in Kenya dealing with unexploded ordinance, and experiencing the wildlife and tribes that live there. As part of the Army Reserve Bill has also learnt to sail, parachute, scuba dive, and do plenty of hill walking.
Bill is passionate about being able to progress his work leading the Resuscitation Team at Royal Surrey as well as his Army Reservist duties, which is why he undertook the free training to become an Armed Forces Champion at the Trust and urges others to do the same.
Bill said:
“I work as an Army Reservist because it gives me life experiences that I wouldn’t get anywhere else, with a wide range of people, developing new skills and learning to cope in extremely challenging environments.
“Everything I do with the Army in terms of personal and leadership development, benefits the NHS, and vice versa, but I couldn’t have done it without the flexibility of Royal Surrey as an employer.
“I would urge staff at the trust who have a connection with the Armed Forces, to join the Trust’s Armed Forces Network or become a Champion and help ensure we support our Armed Forces employees and patients in the best possible way.”
Royal Surrey is an Armed Forces Covenant Gold Employer. It supports members of the Armed Forces Community with a commitment to a Guaranteed Interview Scheme, a Special Leave Policy for reservists’ training, and a recognition of the transferrable skills and qualities they bring to the Trust. Find out more on our website: Armed Forces Covenant Gold Employer | Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust.
The Trust has also achieved Veteran Aware status. This accreditation recognises it as offering the best care for veterans, and a willingness to drive improvements in NHS care for people who serve or have served in the Armed Forces, as well as their families.