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The
UK Med Group comprises a Field Hospital based at the
Shaibah Logistics Base and a Squadron of a Close Support
Medical Regiment, providing primary and secondary care
to UK and coalition forces in the Multi-National Division
(South-East) sector of Iraq.
Our
mission is to save life, prevent further injury and
maintain the health and well-being of the deployed force.
We endeavour to provide the same quality of care that
one would expect to see in the NHS and it is a tribute
to the Med Group personnel that they are able to achieve
this in a tented Field Hospital in some of the most
austere and inhospitable conditions on earth. This would
only be possible with the assistance of the Med Group
Support Squadron who work tirelessly behind the scenes
to provide and maintain the infrastructure, environment,
equipment and supplies necessary for the clinical staff
to do their job.
The
Field Hospital has facilities similar to those of an
NHS general hospital and provides a variety of services
including A&E, surgical teams, general medicine
including infectious disease, a mental health team,
physiotherapy, radiology, pathology, dentistry, defence
welfare service and rehabilitation.
The
Close Support Squadron provides primary care, emergency
resuscitation and an ambulance service to the force
across our area of operations from Al-Amarah in the
north to Um Quazar in the south.
Health
promotion is an important element of the Med Group’s
work and includes smoking cessation and sexual health
clinics.
The
Command element and Regimental Headquarters of the Med
Group is based on a formed medical unit, currently a
Territorial Army unit – 256 (City of London) Field
Hospital (Volunteers). The Med Group is a truly joint
operation and comprises nearly 400 personnel brought
together from across the three services, including approximately
50% from the Territorial Army and Regular Reserve. Attached
to us at present is also a surgical team from the Czech
Republic.
Medical
professionals always hope to be under-employed, but
we must prepare for the worst. The Med Group is busy
treating the routine ailments and injuries that occur
in any population of this size but we must maintain
the capacity to deal with multiple casualties that might
arise at any time from hostile action or major incidents.
The
work of the Defence Medical Services frequently passes
unrecognised. It is a tribute to the NHS that Trusts
are prepared to allow their staff to serve and of course,
to the health-care professionals and other personnel
themselves who are willing to sacrifice their time,
their comforts, and often busy civilian practices, and
work in what at times are very difficult conditions,
to ensure that our service men and women receive a standard
of healthcare that is second to none.
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of Defence is not responsible for the content or availability
of external websites.
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