The Richardson family have paid tribute to Lt Tracey Parrott, team leader for regional engagement with The Royal Navy, for her work during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tracey answered the call for volunteers to assist with the COVID-19 community mass testing programme as part of Operation RESCRIPT and was swiftly selected to join a tri-service team to work with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). She was initially deployed to the West Midlands but when the Team Leader in London needed compassionate leave, Tracey stepped into that role establishing the Regional Liaison Team in the city.
She headed up a strategic planning team based at the DHSC with responsibility for internal and external communications and working patterns. Their overall aim was to provide asymptomatic test centres to help prevent those without symptom from spreading coronavirus. Her team worked with 33 boroughs across London, as well as the Joint Military Command (London), NHS Track and Trace, and the Head of Public Health England. When the Team Leader returned, Tracey continued as Deputy Team Leader to ensure continuity.
Tracey worked relentlessly for four months in London, advising boroughs implementing community mass testing, updating them on DHSC information, planning and logistics. For those boroughs that requested military support, she assisted in scrutinising and finalising their planning submissions.
Lt Tracey Parrott, team leader regional engagement, Naval Regional Command Eastern England, said:
“I was honoured to be selected to support Op RESCRIPT and in particular the DHSC.
Working with the London Boroughs, their Public Health England specialists and the private sector demonstrated how tirelessly they all worked during the pandemic too.
We all worked long hours but it was worth it when we saw the results of our efforts. I would like to thank to the Richardson Family for their recognition of my services to COVID-19; it is my first award after 22 years across Royal Air Force, Army and Royal Navy so it is much appreciated”.
Commodore Jamie Miller, CBE, DL, RN, said:
“It gave me huge pleasure to be part of the Richardson Brothers Foundation presentation to Tracey Parrott.
‘Tri-Service Tracey’, as she was known during her recent tremendous work with the DHSC hugely deserves this award for her tireless, unremitting, unflinching effort, always with a cheerful smile to the fore.
She is an utter credit to the Naval Regional Commander Eastern England, Commodore Bellfield, on whose behalf I would also like to thank the Richardson family for their ever constant support to all three Armed Services.”