Military unit
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
The history of the service can be traced back to 1692 when treatment for sick and wounded naval personnel was administered by the Commissioners of the Sick and Hurt Board (a subsidiary body of the Navy Board) until 1806, when medical officers of the Royal Navy had been under the direction of the Transport Board. In 1817 the Transport Board was combined with the Navy Board, and responsibility for medical officers passed to the Victualling Board. In 1832 the two remaining bodies of the Royal Navy (the Navy Board and the Victualling Board) were abolished following recommendations by the First Lord of the Admiralty, Sir James Graham. Now a new Physician of the Navy, reporting to one of the members of the Board of Admiralty, was put in charge of the navy medical department; the title of this post was changed to Physician-General of the Navy in 1835, then to Inspector-General of Naval Hospitals and Fleets in 1841, and then to Director-General of the Medical Department of the Navy in 1844. In 1879 the offices of the director-general were located at 9 New Street, Spring Gardens, London. In 1917 following further re-structuring within the Admiralty Department it became known as the Royal Navy Medical Service headed by Medical Director General of the Navy until 2002, when it was re-styled once more to Medical Director General (Naval); the MDG Naval currently reports to the Second Sea Lord and Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff.
Current 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 Fleur Marshall, the Medical Director General (Naval); MDG(N) and Chief Naval Medical Officer.
The honorary Commodore-in-Chief of the RNMS is Queen Camilla. In her role as Commodore-in-Chief, the then Duchess of Cornwall 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.
Medical Assistants
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 both male and female provide medical close support and shore side medical care to all Units of 3 Commando Brigade 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 epaulettes, 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.
Administration of the Royal Navy Medical Service
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Note: This is an incomplete list.
Physician of the Navy
Physician-General of the Navy
- 1835 – 27 January 1841: Sir William Burnett
Inspector-General of Naval Hospitals and Fleets
- 28 January 1841 – 31 December 1843: Sir William Burnett
Director-General of the Medical Department of the Navy
- 1 January 1844 – 29 April 1845: Sir William Burnett
- 30 April 1855 – 20 January 1864: Sir John Liddell
- 21 January 1864 – 14 April 1869: Dr Alexander Bryson
- 15 April 1869 – 31 January 1880: Sir Alexander Armstrong
- 1 February 1880 – 26 February 1888: Sir John Watt Reid
- 27 February 1888 – 31 March 1898: Surgeon Vice Admiral Sir James Nicholas Dick
- 1 April 1898 – 11 September 1904: Surgeon Vice Admiral Sir Henry Frederick Norbury
- 12 September 1904 – 10 May 1908: Surgeon Vice Admiral Sir Herbert M. Ellis
- 11 May 1908 – 10 May 1913: Surgeon Vice Admiral Sir James Porter
- 11 May 1913 – 31 May 1917: Surgeon Vice Admiral Sir Arthur W. May
Medical Director-General of the Navy
- 1917–1919: Surgeon Vice Admiral Sir William Henry Norman, KCB, FRCSE
- 1919–1923: Surgeon Vice Admiral Sir Robert Hill, KCB, KCMG, CVO, KHS
- 1923–1927: Surgeon Vice Admiral Sir Joseph Chambers, KCB, CMG, KHP
- 1927–1931: Surgeon Vice Admiral Sir Arthur Gaskell, KCB, OBE, KHS, FRCS
- 1934–1937: Surgeon Vice Admiral Sir Reginald St George Smallridge Bond, KCB, KHP, FRCP, FRCSE
- 1934–1937: Surgeon Vice Admiral Sir Robert William Basil Hall, KCB, OBE, KHP
- 1937–1941: Surgeon Vice Admiral Sir Percival Thomas Nicholls, KCB, KPH, FRCS
- 1941–1945: Surgeon Vice Admiral Sir Sheldon Francis Dudley, KCB, OBE, FRS, KHP, FRCP
- 1945–1948: Surgeon Vice Admiral Sir Henry St Clair Colson, KCB, CBE, KHP, FRCP
- 1948–1951: Surgeon Vice Admiral Sir Clarence Edward Greeson, KBE, CB, KHP
- 1952–1956: Surgeon Vice Admiral Sir Kenneth Alexander Ingleby-Mackenzie, KBE, CB, QHP
- 1956–1960: Surgeon Vice Admiral Sir Robert Cyril May, KBE, CB, MC, QHS, FRCS
- 1960–1963: Surgeon Vice Admiral Sir William Robert Silvester Panckridge, KBE, CB, QHP
- 1963–1966: Surgeon Vice Admiral Sir Derek Duncombe Steele-Perkins, CB, CVO, QHS, FRCS, FRACS
- 1966–1969: Surgeon Vice Admiral Sir Eric Dick Caldwell, KBE, CB, QHP, FRCP, FRCPE
- 1969–1972: Surgeon Vice Admiral Sir Eric Blackburn Bradbury, KBE, CB, QHP, FRCS
- 1972–1977: Surgeon Vice Admiral Sir James Watt, KBE, QHS, FRCS
- 1977–1980: Surgeon Vice Admiral Sir John Stuart Pepys Rawlins, KBE, FRCP, FRAeS
- 1980–1983: Surgeon Vice Admiral Sir John Albert Bews Harrison, KBE, QHP, FRCP
- 1983–1984: Surgeon Vice Admiral Roger John William Lambert, QHP
- 1985–1990: Surgeon Vice Admiral Sir Godfrey James Milton-Thompson, KBE, QHP, FRCP
- 1990–1993: Surgeon Rear Admiral David Askey Lammiman, CB, LVO, QHS, FFARCS
- 1993–1994: Surgeon Rear Admiral Anthony Leslie Revell, QHS
- 1997–1999: Surgeon Rear Admiral Michael Patrick William Halden Paine, QHS, FRCS
- 1999–2002: Surgeon Rear Admiral Ian Lawrence Jenkins, CVO, QHS FRCS
Medical Director-General (Naval)
- 2001–2003: Surgeon Rear Admiral Ralph Donaldson Kerr, FRCGP
- 2003–2007: Surgeon Rear Admiral Michael Atholl Farquharson-Roberts, CBE, FRCS
- 2007–2009: Surgeon Rear Admiral Philip Iain Raffaelli, QHP
- 2011–2012: Surgeon Rear Admiral Lionel Jarvis, CBE, QHS
- 2012–2014: Surgeon Rear Admiral Calum James Gibb McArthur, FRCGP
- 2014–2015: Surgeon Rear Admiral Alasdair James Walker, OBE, QHS, FRCS
- 2015–2017: Surgeon-Commodore Peter Buxton, OBE
- 2017–2021: Commodore Inga Jane Kennedy, CBE, VR, QHNS
- 2021–present: Surgeon Rear Admiral, Fleur T. Marshall, KHP
See also
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Leadership | |
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Components | |
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History and future | |
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Operating forces | |
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Fleet | |
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Ships | |
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Administration | |
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Senior officers | |
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Personnel and training | |
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Equipment | |
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Former leadership | |
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Direction and control of Admiralty and Naval affairs | |
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Boards and offices under the First Lord | |
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Direction of Admirals Naval/Sea Lords War and Naval Staff | |
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Secretariat and staff under the First Sea Lord | |
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Operational planning, policy strategy, tactical doctrine requirements | |
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Divisions and sections under the War and Naval Staff | |
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Offices of the Sea Lords | |
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Admiralty civil departments and organisations under the Sea Lords |
- Admiralty Area Cash Offices
- Admiralty Central Dockyard Laboratory
- Admiralty Central Metallurgical Laboratory
- Admiralty Civilian Shore Wireless Service
- Admiralty Compass Observatory
- Admiralty Constabulary
- Admiralty Constabulary Headquarters
- Admiralty Engineering Laboratory
- Admiralty Experimental Station
- Admiralty Experiment Works
- Admiralty Gunnery Establishment
- Admiralty Interview Board
- Admiralty Labour Department
- Admiralty Marine Technology Establishment
- Admiralty Materials Laboratory
- Admiralty Mine Design Department
- Admiralty Mining Establishment
- Admiralty Naval Aircraft Materials Laboratory
- Admiralty Record Office
- Admiralty Regional Offices
- Admiralty Research Laboratory
- Admiralty Signal Establishment
- Admiralty Signals and Radar Establishment
- Admiralty Surface Weapons Establishment
- Admiralty Surveying Service
- Admiralty Torpedo Experimental Establishment
- Admiralty Underwater Weapons Establishment
- Admiralty Underwater Weapons Launching Establishment
- Architectural and Engineering Works Department
- Air Equipment and Naval Photography Department
- Air Department
- Air Materiel Department
- Air Personnel Department
- Amphibious Warfare Headquarters
- Armament Supply Department
- Board of Invention and Research
- Board of Longitude
- Boom Defence Department
- Boom Defence and Marine Salvage Department
- Britannia Royal Naval College
- Chemical Board
- Chemical Department
- Civil Catering Department
- Civil Engineer in Chiefs Department
- Coastguard and Reserves Branch
- Combined Operations Headquarters
- Commissioner for Property and Income-tax for the Naval Department
- Compass Department
- Contract and Purchase Department
- Council of Naval Education
- Dental Examining Board
- Department of Radio Equipment
- Department of the Accountant-General of the Navy
- Department of Aeronautical and Engineering Research
- Department of Miscellaneous Weapons Development
- Department of Naval Assistant (Foreign) to Second Sea Lord
- Department of Naval Education
- Operational Research
- Department of Personal Services and Officer Appointments
- Department of Physical Research
- Department of Physical Training & Sports
- Department of Radio Equipment
- Department of Research Programmes and Planning
- Department of Superintendent of de-magnetisation
- Department of the Admiral of the Training Service
- Department of the Chief Inspector of Naval Ordnance
- Department of the Chief of Naval Information
- Department of the Chief Scientist
- Department of the Civil Engineer-in-Chief
- Department of the Comptroller of Steam Machinery
- Department of the Comptroller of Victualling and Transport Services
- Department of the Controller of the Navy
- Department of the Controller-General of Merchant Shipbuilding
- Department of the Controller for Navy Pay
- Department of the Deputy Controller for Auxiliary Shipbuilding
- Department of the Deputy Controller for Dockyards and Shipbuilding
- Department of the Director Contract-Built Ships
- Department of the Director-General Aircraft
- Department of the Director-General of Manpower
- Department of the Director-General, Supply and Secretariat Branch
- Department of the Director of Aircraft Maintenance and Repair
- Department of the Director of Contract Labour
- Department of the Director of Dockyards
- Department of the Director of Electrical Engineering
- Department of the Director of Manning
- Department of the Director of Merchant Shipbuilding
- Department of the Director of Merchant Shipbuilding and Repairs
- Department of the Director of Merchant Ship Repairs
- Department of the Director of Naval Construction
- Department of the Director of Naval Equipment
- Department of the Director of Naval Recruiting
- Department of the Director of Naval Weather Service
- Department of the Director of Personal Services
- Department of the Director of Physical Training and Sports
- Department of the Director of Torpedoes and Mining
- Department of the Director of Transports
- Department of the Director of Underwater Weapons
- Department of the Director of Underwater Weapons Materials
- Department of the Director of Unexploded Bombs
- Department of the Director of Warship Production
- Department of the Director of Welfare and Service Conditions
- Department of the Director of Wreck Dispersal
- Department of the Flag Officer Sea Training
- Department of the Engineer in Chief
- Department of the Paymaster Director-General
- Department of the Inspector of Anti-Aircraft Weapons
- Department of the Inspector of Dockyard Expense Accounts
- Department of the Inspector-General of Naval Hospitals and Fleets
- Department of the Medical Director-General of the Navy
- Department of the Physician of the Navy
- Department of the Physician General of the Navy
- Department of the Storekeeper-General of the Navy
- Department of the Surveyor of Buildings
- Department of the Surveyor of Dockyards
- Directorate-General, (Naval Manpower and Training)
- Directorate General Training
- Dockyards and Fleet Maintenance Department
- Dockyards Branch
- Dockyard Expense Accounts Department
- Dockyard Schools
- Electrical Engineering Department
- Engineer Branch
- Engineering Department
- Experimental Department
- Fire Control Group
- Greenwich Hospital Department
- Inspector of Telegraphs
- Inspector of Repairs
- Joint Warfare Establishment
- Medical Consultative Board
- Medical Examining Board
- Historical Section
- Hydrographic Department
- Marine Department
- Marine Pay Department
- Materials and Priority Department
- Medical Consultative Board
- Medical Department
- Medical Examining Board
- Movements Department
- Nautical Almanac Office
- Naval Artillery and Torpedo Department
- Naval Engineering College
- Naval Equipment Department
- Naval Historical Branch
- Naval Construction Department
- Naval Intelligence Department
- Naval Medical Service
- Naval Law Division
- Naval Manpower Department
- Naval Mobilisation Department
- Naval Ordnance Department
- Naval Ordnance Inspection Department
- Naval Ordnance Stores Department
- Naval Personnel Services and Officer Appointments Department
- Naval Publicity Department
- Naval Regional Offices
- Naval Reserve Department
- Naval Security Department
- Naval Stores Department
- Naval Training Department
- Naval Works Department
- Navy, Army and Air Force Institute
- Navy and Army Canteen Board
- Navy Works Department
- Navigation Department
- Observatory at the Cape of Good Hope
- Office of the Admiral Commanding Coast Guard and Reserves
- Office of the Admiral Commanding, Reserves
- Office of the Admiralty Chemist
- Office of the Adviser on the Naval Construction to the Board of Admiralty
- Office of the Assistant Controller
- Office of the Assistant Controller Research and Development
- Office of the Clerk of the Journals
- Office of the Chief Polaris Executive
- Office of the Deputy Controller of Navy
- Office of the Deputy Controller Production
- Office of Extra Naval Assistant to Second Sea Lord
- Office of the Inspector Gun Mountings
- Office of the Keeper of Records
- Office of the Senior Psychologist (Naval)
- Office of the Senior Psychologist of the Navy
- Office of the Translator of French and Spanish Languages
- Office of the Vice Controller Air
- Office of the Vice Controller of the Navy
- Organisation and Methods Department
- Packet Service
- Regional Organisation for Merchant Shipbuilding and Repairs
- Royal Corps of Naval Constructors
- Royal Flying Corps
- Royal Marine Police
- Royal Marines Office
- Office of the Chaplain of the Fleet
- Royal Naval Academy
- Royal Naval Aircraft Workshops
- Royal Naval Air Service
- Royal Naval Air Stations
- Royal Naval Armaments Depot
- Royal Naval Auxiliary Service
- Royal Naval Cordite Factories
- Royal Naval Propellant Factory
- Royal Naval College
- Royal Naval College and the School for Naval Architecture
- Royal Naval College, Dartmouth
- Royal Naval College, Greenwich
- Royal Naval College, Keyham
- Royal Naval College, Osborne
- Royal Naval Engineering College
- Royal Naval Film Corporation
- Royal Naval Hospital
- Royal Naval Medical Depot
- Royal Naval Minewatching Service
- Royal Naval Mine Depot
- Royal Naval Patrol Service
- Royal Naval Scientific Service
- Royal Naval Sick Quarters
- Royal Naval Torpedo Depot
- Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve
- Royal Naval War College
- Royal Naval War College, Portsmouth
- Royal Navy Dockyard
- Royal Navy Medical Service
- Royal Navy Shore Signal Service
- Royal Observatory, Greenwich
- Royal School of Naval Architecture
- Salvage Department
- School of Mathematics and Naval Construction
- Scientific Research and Experiment Department
- Sea Transport Branch
- Sea Transport Department
- Sea Transport Division
- Ship Department
- Ship Design Department
- Signal Department
- Signal School
- Sixpenny Office
- Statistics Department
- Steam Department
- Superintendent of De-magnetisation
- Torpedo Experimental Establishment
- Transport Department
- Undersurface Warfare Department
- Victualling Department
- Volunteer Boys and Cadet Corps
- Weapons Department
- Weapons Department (Naval)
- Women's Royal Naval Service
- Wireless Telegraphy Board
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Direction/Command of the Fleet | |
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Naval formations after 1707 |
- 1st Fleet
- 2nd Fleet
- 3rd Fleet
- Commander-in-Chief, Africa
- Atlantic Fleet
- Commodore, Arabian Seas and Persian Gulf
- Australia Station
- Cape of Good Hope Station
- Cape and West Africa Station
- Battle Cruiser Fleet
- Battle Cruiser Force
- Caspian Flotilla
- Channel Fleet
- Channel Squadron
- Commander-in-Chief, Coast of Ireland
- Cork Station
- Coast of Scotland
- Commander-in-Chief, China
- Commander-in-Chief, Dover
- Flag Officer, East Africa
- East Indies Station
- East Indies and China Station
- Eastern Fleet
- Far East Fleet
- English Channel
- Grand Fleet
- Flag Officer Gibraltar
- Harwich Force
- Home Fleet
- Jamaica Station
- Leith Station
- Commander-in-Chief, Levant
- Levant and East Mediterranean
- Commander-in-Chief, Leeward Islands
- Mediterranean Fleet
- Medway
- Newfoundland Station
- New Zealand Division
- New Zealand Naval Forces
- Nore
- North America and West Indies Station
- Commander-in-Chief, North Sea
- Admiral Commanding, Orkneys and Shetlands
- Pacific Fleet
- Pacific Station
- Admiral of Patrols
- Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth
- Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth
- Queenstown Station
- Royal East African Navy
- Royal Indian Navy
- Flag Officer Submarines
- Commander-in-Chief, Rosyth
- Reserve Fleet
- Scotland and Northern Ireland
- Commander-in-Chief, South Atlantic
- South East Coast of America Station
- Commander-in-Chief, Thames and Medway
- West Africa Squadron
- Flag Officer, West Africa
- Commander-in-Chief, Western Approaches
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Naval formations before 1707 | |
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Direction of Naval Finance | |
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Departments under the Parliamentary and Financial Secretary | |
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Direction of Naval Administration and the Admiralty Secretariat | |
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Branches and offices under the Permanent Secretary | |
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Civil Administration | |
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Departments under the Civil Lords | |
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Legal | |
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