Defence
Royal Naval Medical Services (RNMS)
The Vision of the Royal Naval Medical Services is to excel in supporting the Operational Capability of the Royal Navy.
Royal Fleet Auxiliary exercise Medical Endevour.
The Vision of the Royal Naval Medical Services is to excel in supporting the Operational Capability of the Royal Navy.
Surgeon Rear Admiral Philip Raffaelli is the Medical Director General Naval MDG(N). His mission is to deliver the HealthCare component of Naval operational capability.
He is the head of the Naval Medical Branch, is a member of Second Sea Lord's Board of Management and is the medical adviser to the Admiralty Board.
Mission :
The mission of the Royal Naval Medical Service is to provide a fully manned, sufficiently trained, equipped and resourced organisation with high morale, capable of providing timely high quality medical support to the Operational Capability of the Royal Navy to meet the requirements of the Commanders.
The Royal Naval Medical Services provide comprehensive care on warships, auxiliary vessels, submarines and medical care to the Royal Marines. One of the services provided is the purpose built role 3 hospital RFA Argus:
Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) ship Argus
Contained within the hull of RFA ARGUS is a purpose built Role 3 hospital facility and is referred to as the Primary Casualty Receiving Facility (PCRF). RFA Argus can provide the the Royal Navy with a floating ‘hospital’ if needed.
The facility holds upto 100 beds; comprised of 10 Intensive Therapy beds, 20 High Dependency bed and 70 general beds. To support this there is a range of state of the art medical equipment and vast clinical expertise.
During her routine operation RFA ARGUS acts as a Helicopter Platform Landing Training vessel, during these periods the PCRF is maintained by a small permanent cadre of 3 personnel. When required for operations and exercises clinical staff (from all 3 Services) predominantly from Ministry of Defence Hospital Units (MDHU's) join the vessel to allow her to deliver the levels of medical expertise required.
The hospital facility was initially fitted for the first Gulf conflict in 1991. A major rebuild of the facility took place in 2001 which has resulted in the present permanent facility. RFA ARGUS deployed to the Iraq war in 2003 and regularly takes part in exercises in company with other vessels designed to test her PCRF capability.
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