Defence Medical Services


The Defence Medical Services 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 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. 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.