Amerjit Thandi, a Federation member recently supported the message of Men’s Health Awareness Month (November) as he reflected on the ‘amazing’ care he received from the Police Treatment Centres (PTC) two years ago.
Amerjit (Amer) Thandi says he fully appreciates the importance of staying on top of an individuals health as a police officer after spending three invaluable weeks at the Harrogate branch of the PTC. The PTC provide bespoke support to injured and ill serving and retired cops.
Having picked up a shoulder problem through gym exercise, Amer initially hoped the injury would heal over time through rest, however it soon became apparent he had a long-term issue that was not going to go away without treatment.
Inspector Thandi applied for an occupational health referral through Derbyshire Constabulary and also went down the NHS route, only to find delays and complications with both.
He then turned his considerations to the PTC, despite concerns he would not be eligible due to sustaining the injury outside of his Force duties.
“It was a stressful time, to be honest. I had gone on for a few months with the injury and it wasn’t getting any better, and was starting to impact me operationally,” Amer said.
“I looked at different avenues to resolve it, but nothing was really forthcoming in terms of help I could get straight away or at least in the near future”.
“The PTC then came into my mind – I wasn’t sure if I would be accepted but having paid into it over my 22 years in the police, I gave it a shot”.
“The answer was yes, and although I was finally given physiotherapy sessions through work around the same time, I put these on hold while I attended the PTC.”
The charity opened its doors to Amer in November 2022 for a two-week residential stay and immediately set about his rehabilitation.
He began daily appointments with his physiotherapist, who diagnosed that he had damaged his left rotator cuff.
In addition to this, 54-year-old Amer enjoyed gym classes, including Pilates and yoga, and hydrotherapy, which he credits for providing an instant improvement to his shoulder.
Even before any hands-on treatment could get started, however, he says he was really impressed: “Straight away, I was taken aback by the attention paid to me by staff”.
“After I was booked in, I was directed to the in-house nurse and so much time was taken to really listen to try and understand what the problem was – it felt so different to the conveyor belt experience of a local doctor’s surgery.”
Amer went on to discuss the second week of his stay, adding: “It was a lot more chilled [than the first week]. When you go somewhere new, you want to try out all the facilities on offer, but once I’d done all that, I took the opportunity to really unwind”.
“The PTC was the ideal setting for that. You are staying in a lovely room in what could pass as a stately home, with amazing views of greenery and a lake. The food was brilliant too”.
“Physically, I needed to get my shoulder sorted, but I didn’t realise how I would benefit from some mental therapeutic time, too.”
Upon his departure, PTC staff informed Amer that they were not completely satisfied with the progress of his injury, inviting him back for a further week once their schedule would allow.
Amer completed this extra stint just over a month later, in January 2023, and came away firmly on the road to recovery.
Another month on, he says his shoulder was essentially free from any pain or discomfort.
Now, as a PTC champion, he wants to encourage fellow Fed members to take advantage of the charity – and remind them that the only way of doing so is by paying into it each month.
“Even after I had left for good, my physio told me to keep in touch, in case my shoulder gave me any more trouble further down the line”.
“In a number of ways, the PTC really did go the extra mile for me, and I will always appreciate that. I cannot recommend it highly enough”.
“I would urge every single officer to pay into the Police Treatment Centres, and following that, don’t be afraid to reach out to them as soon as you have any serious concerns with your health. The reason I had to go back an extra week was perhaps because my injury had been left untreated for such a long time”.
“The PTC is an amazing, vast resource which still remains untapped in large parts”.
“I think some younger officers coming through choose not to pay into the charity because they don’t feel they will need it until long into the future, if at all. But they really should, and that is why they are encouraged to with the first year of membership free for all new recruits nationally.”
Rounding off, Amer also urged police officers everywhere to look after themselves, both physically and mentally.
“The public will never realise everything we put ourselves through, and everything we see and do for their safety”.
“Whatever kind of help you might need, from whatever organisation, we deserve it and we owe it to ourselves to seek it,”
