Annex D
FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS IN MEDICAL SUPPORT TO
OPERATIONS
Deployed Capability
1. The Maritime Role 3 Medical Capability
(MR3MC), or Joint Casualty Treatment Ship (JCTS) is a proposed
(2020 timeframe) replacement for the Primary Casualty Receiving
Facility (PCRF)—a capability of RFA Argus, which delivers
secondary healthcare and primary surgery in an afloat hospital
environment. RFA Argus entered Service in 1990. It was upgraded
substantially prior to the 2003 Iraq conflict, where it was deployed
in support of operations afloat and ashore.
2. Work on Improving Medical Support to
a Brigade (IMSB) will deliver, by 2011, a rebalanced Army Medical
Service to provide support at Brigade rather than Divisional level
in line with defence policy which requires the DMS to move routinely
to a medium scale of effort. It will deliver five Medical Regiments
each to support an Armoured or Mechanised Brigade, and two hybrid
Medical Regiments (V) to provide to Logistics Brigades. One specialist
Medical Regiment for 16 Air Assault Brigade and one Divisional
Medical Regiment (V) will be retained. Deployed hospital care
will be provided by a Force Support Hospital (FSH) or a number
of Close Support Hospitals (CSH), depending on the scale of effort.
3. There have been major equipment enhancements
to our deployed Field Hospitals. For example, a CT scanner has
been deployed since 2004 in Iraq. A second scanner, deployed to
Afghanistan, has reached initial operating capability and is due
to be declared fully operational in May 2007 once a satellite
link is established. It is considered that the deployment of CT
scanners will be the norm for future enduring operations.
4. In the near future Role 1 and Role 2
(Light Manoeuvre) facilities deploying on operations will undertake
pre-deployment validation training and audit. This is in line
with best practice for Role 3 and Role 2 (Enhanced) Pre-Deployment
Training.
5. A full review, by Defence Consultant
Advisors, of all medical modules will be conducted in May 2007.
First Responder Level
6. In 2005 and 2006 several enhanced haemostatic
products (designed to stop catastrophic blood loss) were successfully
introduced in Operational Theatres. The urgent introduction of
these products; HemCon®, QuikClot®, CAT® tourniquet
and the new FFD, as well as the Team Medic capability, have already
been attributed with saving over three lives by 2006. More recently
the introduction of Intra-osseous Needles, Javid Vascular Shunts
and Improved Pelvic Splintage are part of the continued rapid
application of emerging capabilities into current operations.
Additional Support
7. DMS has led the UK in the introduction
of telemedicine; in support of operations, land-based and maritime,
and in support of our permanent deployments overseas. The DMS
Telemedicine Unit has received national awards,
Defence Medical Research and Training
8. The RCDM Academic Division has expanded
within the Birmingham Research Park to accommodate a new Defence
Professor of Nursing and enlargement of the new Defence Professor
of Surgery's department
9. Initial work on military trauma patients
commenced in 2003 at Frimley Park. A trauma nurse coordinator
and database were set up at RCDM in 2005, giving on- the-spot
audit of trauma cases and looking at trends to inform best practice.
10. The RCDM Academic Department of Emergency
Medicine was awarded the Hospital Doctor "Training Team of
the Year Award" in 2006. The Team was led by Colonel Tim
Hodgetts, "Individual Hospital Doctor of the Year".
11. Sergeant Rachel McDonald, A Royal Air
Force Paramedic has been awarded the "Paramedic of the Year
Award 2007" by the Ambulance Services Institute.
12. Prof Keith Porter took up his Honorary
Chair in Traumatology at the University of Birmingham (2006) and
moved into the RCDM facilities at the Birmingham Research Park.
16 May 2007
Harmony Targets
| Separated Service | Tour Lengths
| Tour Intervals | Maximum
Separated Service
Targets
Calculated
over a Period
of 12 Months
|
Royal Navy | In any 36 month period no one to exceed 660 days
| Max 6 months | No more than 60%
of time deployed in
3 years
| 220 days |
| Army | In any 30 month period no one to exceed 415 days
| Max 6 months | 24 months |
166 days |
| RAF | In any 12 month period no more than 2.5% of personnel to exceed 140 days
| Max 4 months | 16 months |
140 days |
| |
| | |
* 11 Orthopaedic (specialist) nurses.
* 15 General nurses.
* Health Care Assistants.
TOTAL 39
These numbers include the military ward manager and her three
deputies.
| 
