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DSG Medical and Dental
Team training workshop
DSG’s Medical and Dental
technicians are based on eight sites;
Aldershot, Catterick, Colchester,
Portsmouth, Sealand, Stirling,
Warminster and Woolwich.
However, as they operate as a
mobile support team, they
constantly travel to military units
around the UK.
Whilst from a business perspective having a
mobile support team spread across the
country allows DSG to provide support
DSG’s Medical and Dental Team
where the customers need it, from the
technicians perspective the disadvantages
are a lack of on-site training support and
the separation of the team.
To overcome this, the Medical and Dental
team has set up an annual mandatory
training workshop, choosing DSG
Donnington as the venue due to its
favourable central location. Past events
enabled the team to work with software
developers to create Perseus, the medical
equipment maintenance programme and
also to undertake training.
At the end of June the team met up for the
annual gathering, which also gives the team
the opportunity to meet with senior
management. This year, Graham Sargent,
Head of Business Stream 1 and Ian
Doughty, Head of Electronics &
Components Business Unit (ECBU) gave a
briefing, followed by a general question and
answer session. Afterwards, the Radiation
Protection training commenced. A team
from the Defence Science and Technology
Laboratory gave a presentation as well as
an open forum discussion. Many of the
technicians have completed the course but
due to the changing nature of radiation
dose rates, it is mandatory for the
technicians to undergo a 5-year refresher
course to ensure they are authorised to
maintain and calibrate medical and dental
x-ray sets. The majority agreed there were
benefits to the refresher training and many
also felt that they have acquired new
knowledge.
David Macey, Production manager, ECBU
told Digest, “Everyone agrees that the
annual training workshop is important.
When we get together there is always a
great sense of genuine team atmosphere
and it is a great forum for medical
equipment knowledge transfer and
sharing.”
After 35 years as a blood donor, Steve Lane, who works on the
Warrior Specified Repair Only line at DSG Donnington,
recently donated his 100th pint of blood.
He started donating after a former colleague, Gordon Richards,
encouraged fellow workers to give blood and coerced him, a young
apprentice at the time, to donate. After reaching 75 pints in 2006, Steve
then set himself the target to reach 100 pints.
Steve told Digest, “Anyone interested in giving blood can contact the
National Blood Service on 0300 123 23 23 or visit the website
www.blood.co.uk. The website provides advice on where you can give
blood, what happens at donation sessions and what happens to the
blood following donation. Apparently, 96% of us rely on the other 4%
giving blood. The National Blood Service has helped members of my
own family; including my dad following a car accident and my father-inlaw
during his fight against cancer. I am going to continue to donate for
as long as possible and if you are generally healthy and aged between 17
and 65, I encourage you to do something amazing and give blood.”
Steve receiving his award pack for his 100th pint donation
from Marjorie Pagett from the National Blood Service
www.dsg.mod.uk October/November 2011 DIGEST
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