Doctor honoured for battle work

Dr Sam Rawlinson joined the Territorial Army 20 years ago

A Perthshire doctor who has helped injured soldiers and civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan has had his hard, and often dangerous, work recognised.

Dr Sam Rawlinson, 51, has been a Territorial Army member for 20 years.

The blood transfusion specialist, who works at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee, is commanding officer of 205 Scottish Field Hospital.

He has been named Healthcare Reservist of the Year at the Military and Civilian Health Partnership Awards.

Dr Rawlinson first joined the TA while he was studying to be a physician and was worried he was missing out on the more exciting things that life had to offer - like abseiling, canoeing, going places and seeing things.

He feels that he is "very lucky" to have the opportunity to do transfusion work in the field.

"I think we're ahead of the game, there's no other country that can do what we're doing," he said.

"In terms of transfer support, we've had a soldier recently who had over 70 pints of blood, so if you image trying to provide that level of care about 3,000 miles away.

You don't know when you're going to get a casualty or how many Dr Sam Rawlinson

"I've got laboratory scientists out there, the blood supply team who work in Birmingham do all the logistics support, the National Blood Service provide us with the blood and the RAF fly it out, so it's a really big team that pull together.

"You don't know when you're going to get a casualty or how many or how much they'll need, so what you have to do is be able to deliver whatever's needed, whenever it's needed."

Dr Rawlinson, from Abernethy, did his first tour of duty in Iraq in 1991 and he has been back numerous times.

He was in Afghanistan last year and is due to return for a short time next month.

He admits there have been scary moments - such as being attacked by missiles, mortar fire and hearing the nuclear, biological and chemical warning alarms going off.

And he told the BBC Scotland news website that he could not have done it without the support of his colleagues, who take up the slack while he is away, and also his wife Beena Raschkes, who is a GP in Bridge of Earn.

He said: "My wife has been fantastic, there's no way that you could do TA for 20 years without your wife supporting you, it just doesn't happen.

"Obviously she's had to put up with the tours and me disappearing and going a little bit funny or nervous before I go out, because I always do.

"You abandon your wife and your children and she just has to pick up the pieces and crack on."