Armed Forces day | Dr Aaron Mason | Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre
Jun 22, 2023, 12:19 PM
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Dr Aaron Mason discusses his experience at the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre and challenges patients can experience.
Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre
And what is it? So part of my GP training, I went to DMRC, so Defence Military Rehabilitation Centre, Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre, so it's where we send all of our complex rehab patients. And part of my job there, which is called SPEC Rehab, Special Rehab, which is where all the kind of like odd things went. The non-, doesn't really fit in like lower limb, upper limb, spine, whatever. So it's things like chronic fatigue, chronic pains, medical things, people with post-surgery. So obviously, with that patient mix, those sorts of words are used to describe some of them, who are really challenging. But why are they challenging? Well, actually, it's probably how many healthcare workers have treated them. And I often think about that with sickle patients. Why do people feel sickle cell patients so difficult? Well, actually, it's probably because they have been treated really badly. And this concept of heart sink is probably part of it. And GP has really made me sort of come to that idea. And then how do you then take that forward to manage all your other patients, all your other issues? Why do people, to lots of young fit men who are very physically active, and when they get this nasty injury that requires them to not be allowed to be as physically active, why do they often go a bit off the rails? Well it's actually because they've had a huge loss of identity, because a huge part of their core identity is gone.
Please note that the views expressed in these recordings are those of the interviewees, within their historical context, and may not represent RCGP views or policy.
If you want to find out more about the RCGP oral history collection you can visit the Museum heritage webpage
And what is it? So part of my GP training, I went to DMRC, so Defence Military Rehabilitation Centre, Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre, so it's where we send all of our complex rehab patients. And part of my job there, which is called SPEC Rehab, Special Rehab, which is where all the kind of like odd things went. The non-, doesn't really fit in like lower limb, upper limb, spine, whatever. So it's things like chronic fatigue, chronic pains, medical things, people with post-surgery. So obviously, with that patient mix, those sorts of words are used to describe some of them, who are really challenging. But why are they challenging? Well, actually, it's probably how many healthcare workers have treated them. And I often think about that with sickle patients. Why do people feel sickle cell patients so difficult? Well, actually, it's probably because they have been treated really badly. And this concept of heart sink is probably part of it. And GP has really made me sort of come to that idea. And then how do you then take that forward to manage all your other patients, all your other issues? Why do people, to lots of young fit men who are very physically active, and when they get this nasty injury that requires them to not be allowed to be as physically active, why do they often go a bit off the rails? Well it's actually because they've had a huge loss of identity, because a huge part of their core identity is gone.
Please note that the views expressed in these recordings are those of the interviewees, within their historical context, and may not represent RCGP views or policy.
If you want to find out more about the RCGP oral history collection you can visit the Museum heritage webpage