Defence Medical Services
The Defence Medical Services (DMS) is an umbrella organisation within the Ministry of Defence in the United Kingdom. It consists of the Joint Medical Group, part of Strategic Command, the Royal Navy Medical Services, Army Medical Services and Royal Air Force Medical Services.
Structure
The Defence Medical Services are led by the Director General, currently Peter Homa, who is also Chief Executive of the Joint Medical Group.
The Director General is supported by the Surgeon General, currently Air Vice Marshal Alastair Reid, who is the most senior uniformed medical officer in the British Armed Forces. The Surgeon General has primary responsibility for medical operational capability, medical policy and research and development.
In addition to the Surgeon General, the Joint Medical Group has two two-star Directors.
- the Director of Medical Personnel and Training, currently Air Vice Marshal Claire Walton. The Medical Personnel and Training Directorate includes the Defence Medical Academy, which delivers medical education and training, and the Joint Hospital Group, which force generates hospital specialists for operational duty.
- the Director of Defence Healthcare, currently Major General Paul Cain. Defence Healthcare commissions and delivers healthcare to members of the British Armed Forces in the U.K. and in non-operational overseas locations. As part of the Directorate, Defence Primary Healthcare provides General Practice, Dental, Mental Health, Physiotherapy and Occupational Health Care for British Armed Forces personnel.[1]
Role
The DMS' 7,000 general practitioners, dentists, consultants, nurses and surgeons provide healthcare for around 258,000 personnel within the United Kingdom's Armed Forces. Hospital care is provided via Ministry of Defence Hospital Units located within National Health Service hospitals, as the Armed Forces no longer run dedicated Military hospitals. The main centre is the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust.[2] There are smaller units at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, Frimley Park Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust, Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust and South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.