Armed Conflict: Casualties

As outlined in the Strategic Defence Review (SDR), it is critical the national health ecosystem—Defence, the NHS and the private sector—has the capacity and capability to meet the Nation's needs in peacetime and during conflict. There is significant ongoing work between the Ministry of Defence (MOD), the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the NHS to review system-wide capacity to ensure the UK can respond collectively to meet the demands of warfighting and other strategic health emergencies.

Over the past year, a series of joint wargame exercises have been held involving the MOD, DHSC, NHS England (NHSE), the Devolved Administrations, Voluntary Aid Societies and Allies to explore and expand the UK’s ability to deal with casualties across a range of scenarios up to and including warfighting; this is an ongoing dynamic & collaborative programme.

There has been specific focus on the role of the NHS in major conflict, including the potential clinical challenge to health services of modern conflict and how UK health services work collectively to respond to the challenge of conflict at scale.

The SDR recommendations and the creation of integrated crisis plans will continue to be progressed as part of the ongoing engagement between the MOD, DHSC and the NHS. Further, the work with allies through the NATO Medical Action Plan is addressing priority challenges in regulatory frameworks and legislation; workforce shortages; mass casualty planning; patient evacuation; and medical logistics.