RAF Medical Services

The Royal Air Force Medical Services is the branch of the Royal Air Force that provides health care at home and on deployed operations to RAF service personnel. Medical officers are the doctors of the RAF and have specialist expertise in aviation medicine to support aircrew and their protective equipment. Medical officers also carry out Aeromedical evacuations, providing vital assistance on search-and-rescue missions or emergency relief flights worldwide.

Royal Air Force Medical Services
Active1 April 1918 – Present
(following amalgamation of the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS))
Country United Kingdom
AllegianceHM The Queen
Branch Royal Air Force
RoleMedicine
Part ofHeadquarters Air Command
Commanders
Head of Royal Air Force Medical ServicesAir Commodore David C McLoughlin[1]
Insignia
RAF Ensign
Red Cross Emblem
Royal Air Force
air component of the
British Armed Forces
Components
History
Aircraft
  • List of RAF aircraft
Structure
Personnel

Personnel and training
RAF medics who had served on Operation Trenton alongside the United Nations

The Royal Air Force Medical Services employs servicemen and servicewomen trained only by the RAF, as well as professionals trained by the NHS such as doctors and nurses.

Both officers and aircrew are present within the Medical Services. Roles requiring specialist degrees such as Medical Officers (Doctors), Nursing Officers, and Dental Officers (Dentists), as well as roles not requiring specialists degrees such as Medical Support Officers, are all commissioned, with most (except general Medical Support Officers) attending a 13 Week SERE (specialist entrant and re-entrant) Initial Officer Training commissioning course. General Medical Support Officers are required to attend the regular format, 24 week IOT commissioning course. For all roles further training occurs as necessary following the relevant IOT course.

Medical Service aircrew are required to attend a 10 week recruit basic training course, after which they receive further training within their role.

List of Director-Generals

The head of the medical branch has been titled "Head of the Royal Air Force Medical Services" since 2013. The appointment was previously known as "Director of Medical Services" (1918–1938) and "Director-General Medical of Services (RAF)" (1938–2013).

Directors of Medical Services

  • Major-General M H G Fell (1918–1921) (Later Lieutenant-General Sir M H G Fell)
  • Air Vice-Marshal Sir D Munro (1921–1930)
  • Air Vice-Marshal Sir J McIntyre (1930–1935)
  • Air Vice-Marshal Sir A W Iredell (1935–1938)

Directors-General of Medical Services (RAF)

  • Air Marshal Sir A V J Richardson (1938–1941)
  • Air Marshal Sir H E Whittingham (1941–1946)
  • Air Marshal Sir A Grant (1946–1948)
  • Air Marshal Sir P C Livingston (1948–1951)
  • Air Marshal Sir J Mac Kilpatrick (1951–1957)
  • Air Marshal Sir P B L Potter (1957–1962)
  • Air Marshal Sir R Nelson (1962–1967)
  • Air Marshal Sir G R Gunn (1967–1971)
  • Air Marshal Sir E Sidey (1971–1974)
  • Air Marshal Sir G Dhenin (1974–1978)[2]
  • Air Marshal Sir C Soutar (1978-1981)
  • Air Marshal Sir D Atkinson (1981-1984)
  • Air Marshal Sir J Donald (1984-1986)
  • Air Vice-Marshal F C Hurrell (1986-1988)
  • Air Vice-Marshal N H Mills (1987–1990) (Later Air Marshal Sir N H Mills and Surgeon General)
  • Air Vice-Marshal J M Brook (1991–1994)
  • Air Vice-Marshal J A Baird (1994–1997) (Later Air Marshal Sir J A Baird and Surgeon General)
  • Air Vice-Marshal C J Sharples (1997–2002)
  • Air Vice-Marshal W J Pike (2002–2004)
  • Air Vice-Marshal S R C Dougherty (2004–2008)[3]
  • Air Vice-Marshal C P A Evans (2008-2009) (Later Air Marshal C P A Evans and Surgeon General)
  • Air Vice-Marshal C B Morris (2009-2011)
  • Air Vice-Marshal A K Mozumder (2011-2013)

Head of Royal Air Force Medical Services

  • Air Commodore A C Wilcock (2013–2014)
  • Air Commodore S C Kilbey (2014–2019)
  • Air Commodore M Byford (2019–2020)
  • Air Commodore D C McLoughlin (2020–)

See also

References
  1. "RAF Senior Appointments 18 February 2020". raf.mod.uk. Royal Air Force. 18 February 2020. Retrieved 26 February 2020. Air Commodore D C McLoughlin OBE QHS to be Head Royal Air Force Medical Services, Headquarters Air Command with effect from 24 February 2020 in succession to Air Commodore M Byford QHD
  2. "Dhenin, Air Marshal Sir Geoffrey (Howard)". Who's Who. ukwhoswho.com. A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc. 2016. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U13640. (subscription or UK public library membership required)
  3. "Dougherty, Air Vice-Marshal Simon Robert Charles". Who's Who. ukwhoswho.com. A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc. 2019. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U58746. (subscription or UK public library membership required)
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