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2nd Medical Group

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2nd Medical Group
Group Tactical Recognition Flash
Active1 August 2002 – present
Country United Kingdom
Branch British Army
RoleMedical services
SizeBrigade
Part ofField Army Troops
Group HQQueen Elizabeth Barracks, Strensall

2nd Medical Group (2 Med Gp) is a formation of the British Army under Field Army Troops. It predominantly provides deployed hospital care via 11 Multi-Role Medical Regiments. It also provides specialist medical capabilities via three Nationally Recruited Reserve Units; 306 Hospital Support Regiment, 335 Medical Evacuation Regiment and the Medical Operational Support Unit.

History

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Headquarters 2nd Medical Group, formerly known as 2nd Medical Brigade, was initially formed at Imphal Barracks, York under the title of The Medical Group on 1 April 2002, as a result of the Strategic Defence Review.[1]

In March 2020, as part of Operation Rescript, 256th (London and South East) Multi-Role Medical Regiment, then known as 256 Field Hospital, helped construct a temporary critical care hospital, named NHS Nightingale Hospital London, during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.[2]

Under the Future Soldier programme announced on 25 November 2021, the formation was reduced to a Colonel's Command. Subsequently, many units were moved under direct command of the divisions. The formerly named 2 Medical Brigade became 2 Medical Group. In addition, the group transferred from 1st Division to Field Army Troops, reporting directly to Commander Field Army. The role of the group was described as follows: "The 2nd Medical Group will generate field hospitals and task-organised medical support to the deployed force. It will be significantly reinforced by Army Reserve multi-role medical regiments and specialist medical capabilities.[3]

Role

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MERT recovering a casualty that had been evacuated via Chinook helicopter in Afghanistan.

The HQ has operational command of 2 Regular Multi-Role Medical Regiments, 9 Reserve Multi-Role Medical Regiments, a Reserve medical evacuation regiment, a Reserve hospital support regiment, and the Reserve Medical Operations Support Unit, which provides small teams of pre-qualified medical staff officers to support operations and exercises. The group also provides the enhanced medical operational command and control (C2) capability lost by the Army Medical Services (AMS).[4] The group has significantly raised the quality of pre-deployment medical training, seeing it previously provide a high standard of field medical care at field hospitals in Afghanistan.[5]

The soldiers and officers of 306 Hospital Support Regiment are all fulltime NHS Consultants and Specialist Nurses, in niche areas such as women's health, paediatrics, head & neck, CT scanning, and neurosurgical, who serve as reservists in their spare time.[6][7]

MERT (Medical Emergency Response Team) evacuating a casualty in Lashkar Gar, Helmand, Afghanistan.

335 Medical Evacuation Regiment are specialists in medevac or 'in transit care', moving critical care patients across land operations, providing capabilities such as Medical Emergency Response Teams (MERT), Forward Medical Evacuation Teams, Pre-Hospital Treatment Teams, Tactical Medical Evacuation Teams. It also provides ambulance crews that are trained in all NATO ambulance platforms.[7] The regiment has deployed personnel on every major offensive, peacekeeping and humanitarian operation since its formation in 2005, including Operation GRITROCK (Sierra Leone), Operation HERRICK (Afghanistan), Operation TELIC (Iraq), Operation TOSCA (Cyprus) and Operation TRENTON (South Sudan).[8][9]

The Group Headquarters is based at Queen Elizabeth Barracks, Strensall, North Yorkshire. The barracks had been planned to close in 2024, however Defence Procurement Minister, James Cartlidge, later announced that the barracks would be retained and receive additional investment to remain home of the 2nd Medical Group for the future.[10]

Emblem

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The centre cross within the emblem represents the Red Cross, under which the majority of the AMS operates in accordance with the Geneva Conventions.

Each arm of the Cross represents one of the four corps that make up the Army Medical Services, which are:

The Rod and the Serpent - The centre of the emblem depicts the Rod of Aesculapius who lived in ancient Greece in the year 1256BC. Aesculapius was known in ancient Greece as the father of medicine and was raised to God status according to Greek mythology. The serpent was revered by the ancient Greeks as having healing powers and combined with the Rod of Aesculapius has been recognised as the international symbol of medicine and healing since 1200BC.[15]

List of structures

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References

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  1. ^ "Strategic Defence Review" (PDF). Retrieved 14 April 2017.
  2. ^ "Coronavirus: Pictures Show Military Personnel Helping To Build NHS Nightingale". BFBS. 28 March 2020. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
  3. ^ "Future Soldier Guide" (PDF). United Kingdom Parliamentary Publications. 25 November 2021. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
  4. ^ "The British Army - Army Medical Services". www.army.mod.uk. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
  5. ^ "Troops at the ready". Archived from the original on 20 December 2014. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
  6. ^ "2nd Medical Brigade | The British Army".
  7. ^ a b "Army Reserve Units | York Queen Elizabeth Barracks".
  8. ^ Skitt, Laura (29 July 2021). "Medical Evacuation: How Frontline Treatment Has Evolved". Forces Network. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
  9. ^ "335 Medical Evacuation Regiment | The British Army".
  10. ^ "Strensall Barracks saved! Army base will NOT be sold off by MoD". York Press. 28 March 2024. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  11. ^ "The British Army - Royal Army Medical Corps". www.army.mod.uk. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
  12. ^ "The British Army - Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps". www.army.mod.uk. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
  13. ^ "The British Army - Royal Army Dental Corps". www.army.mod.uk. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
  14. ^ "The British Army - Royal Army Veterinary Corps". www.army.mod.uk. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
  15. ^ Wilcox, Robert A; Whitham, Emma M (15 April 2003). "The symbol of modern medicine: why one snake is more than two". Annals of Internal Medicine. 138 (8): 673–7. doi:10.7326/0003-4819-138-8-200304150-00016. PMID 12693891. S2CID 19125435. Retrieved 15 June 2007.
  16. ^ Mackinlay, Gordon Angus (1 July 2007). ""A Moment in Time": The British Army at a Moment in Time – 1 July 2007, A look at and from it of the Makeup of the Regular and Territorial Army". Retrieved 26 November 2021.
  17. ^ a b Ministry, of Defence (July 2013). "Transforming the British Army an Update" (PDF). Parliamentary Publishments. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 March 2014. Retrieved 26 November 2021.
  18. ^ "1st Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Brigade". www.army.mod.uk. Retrieved 26 November 2021.
  19. ^ "Force Troops Command Handbook". British Army. Upavon, Wiltshire, United Kingdom: British Army. Retrieved 26 November 2021.
  20. ^ "Future Soldier Guide" (PDF). United Kingdom Parliamentary Publications. 25 November 2021. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
  21. ^ "2 Medical Group". www.army.mod.uk. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
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