Royal Navy Medical Service

Royal Navy Medical Service
Active	1918 - Present (Current Structure Adopted)
Country	United Kingdom
Allegiance	HM The Queen
Branch	Royal Navy
Role	Medicine
Website	Royal Navy Medical Service
Commanders
Director-General of Medical Services (Naval)	Surgeon Rear-Admiral Alasdair James Walker, OBE, QHS, FRCS (Glas & Eng) Deputy Surgeon-General of the British Armed Forces
Commodore-in-Chief	HRH The Duchess of Cornwall, GCVO
Insignia
White Ensign (1801 – present)
Naval Jack
Red Cross Emblem

The Royal Navy Medical Service is the branch of the Royal Navy responsible for medical care. It works closely with Queen Alexandra's Royal Naval Nursing Service.

History

Since the Royal Navy was officially established, the medical officers of the navy were segregated into surgeons and physicians. Every ship would carry a surgeon or assistant surgeon, who would have to treat patients, perform surgical procedures and prepare medications, but the more senior physicians would work either on a capital ship or in charge of a land based hospital. The current structure of ranking for medical officers was adopted in 1918.

Structure

The medical branch today is made up of Medical Officers (physicians) and non-commissioned officers and ratings as medical assistants, who receive similar training to paramedics. Nursing services are provided for the navy by the QARNNS which works alongside the Medical Service, but is a separate organisation. In total, 1,522 personnel are employed by the service.

It is currently commanded by Surgeon Rear Admiral Alasdair J Walker QHS, the Medical Director General (Naval); MDG(N) and Chief Naval Medical Officer.

The honorary Commodore-in-Chief of the RNMS is Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall. In her role as Commodore-in-Chief, the Duchess visited the training-establishment HMS Excellent in January 2012, to award medals to naval medical teams returning from service in Afghanistan.

All ranks of the medical branch provide medical care afloat as well at naval shore establishments and with the royal marines.

Upon completion of initial training, medical staff may also earn their "Dolphins" and work in the Royal Navy Submarine Service or complete the All Arms Commando Course to earn their green beret and serve as attached medical personnel with the Royal Marines.

Medical Assistants

Main article: Medical Assistant (Royal Navy)

Medical Assistants are deployed on all major warships and submarines of the Royal Navy, and provide primary care to the crew. They also have the role of training the crew in first aid. Capital ships often carry non-commissioned medical technicians as part of the larger medical department, who perform laboratory work to aid the medical assistants and officers.

Medical assistants can participate in land based medicine in the medical departments of the shore establishments or with the royal marines.

All medical assistants are ranked in the same manner as other ratings.

Medical Officers

Capital ships (including aircraft carriers, LPHs) have separate medical departments permanently staffed by one or two medical officers, but they are embarked temporarily on smaller vessels when on a long operational tour. Medical officers are ranked in the same manner as other officers, but wear red stripes between the gold on their epaulets, and have the title 'Surgeon' added to their rank (Surgeon Lieutenant for example). Although royal navy medical officers are qualified doctors, they do not use the Dr prefix, like those in other British military medical organisations.

See also

• William Job Maillard VC
• Surgeon Vice Admiral Ian Jenkins
• Surgeon Captain Rick Jolly
• Physician

External links

• Official Website of the Royal Navy Medical Service
• Ministry of Defence - Royal Navy Medical Services (RNMS)