MoD reshapes medical capabilities

29 March 2007

The Ministry of Defence is to reduce the amount of GPs and nurses in the Defence Medical Service.

The MoD took part in a review looking at lessons learned from recent operations to establish a more accurate basis from which planners can ensure that the current level of healthcare is sustained into the future.

The review recommended that the MoD need a different balance of medical specialisms. Therefore, the report recommends that the Defence Medical Service reduce the amount of general nurses, but then supplement that with more emergency nurses.

The MoD has said this will not lead to any redundancies.

The reason for the change is medical advances that allow staff to save more battlefield casualties. It is also with the changing roles of field hospitals being more for emergency patients and once they are relatively well, patients are transferred to a specialist MoD hospital in the UK.

The chief of the defence staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup said, "At a time when the operational tempo is high and medical resources are crucial contributors to deployed operations, it is important to ensure that the balance of specialists is right. This new structure provides a sound basis on which to make future uniformed regular manpower plans."