A new rehabilitation initiative to speed up soldiers’ recovery from injury has been launched in British Forces Germany.

Since 1 February 2010 all soldiers receiving treatment from BFG Health Service Rehabilitation facilities are issued with a Rehabilitation Passport.

Recovery from injury is not always straight forward but can be a complex and drawn out process involving input from a range of medical and unit staff. The best results are achieved when all those involved in the process; the injured soldier, doctors, physio, Exercise Rehabilitation Instructor (ERI), unit Physical Training Instructor (PTI), and the unit are engaged and exchanging information. The Rehabilitation Passport has been specifically designed to support that passage of information and make the transition from medical to unit rehabilitation as smooth as possible.

The Rehabilitation Passport is a wallet sized card that is issued to the soldiers by the physiotherapist or ERI. The Passport is composed of six sections which do the following:

• Acts as an appointment card and records the outcome of the rehabilitation process
• Identifies medical Rehabilitation and Unit points of contact
• Identifies what physical training soldiers can do and gives guidance on intensity
• Communicates what specific programmes have been given
• Identifies anticipated outcomes/goals with timeframes
• Provides a training record

The use of adhesive labels allows some of the sections to be updated to reflect the soldier’s progress or change of goals, whilst other information is retained.

Major Richard Firth, SO2 Rehab for BFG Health Service, came up with the idea of the Passport. He said: “The Rehabilitation Passport is a simple document that can be quickly filled in by the soldier’s physiotherapist or ERI. It has been designed to give a lot of information in a clear format that is useful in the rehabilitation of injured and de-conditioned personnel. The aim is to support both the soldier and the unit by giving clear direction on what it is both possible and safe for individuals to do. The Passport also acts as a reminder for soldiers, allowing them to monitor their own progress and work towards set goals.”

The Passport was successfully trialled for six weeks in Gütersloh Garrison during the summer of 2009 and was seen by all users as a significant step in enhancing the rehabilitation of injured personnel.

WO2 (QMSI) Tony Gaul APTC said: “I have used the Rehab Passport both during the trial last summer and since the launch. Before, we used generic programmes for injured soldiers but with the Passport the PTI can see clearly what the soldier can or can’t do and the specific goals set by the physio and the ERI. It has everything on a small document.”

The Passport does not give out any confidential information regarding the injured soldier’s condition. It does however provide information to the unit and unit PTI staff which ensures that injured personnel are undertaking appropriate physical exercise so that recovery is not delayed and the soldier is not put at unnecessary risk of re-injury.