The Year in Military Healthcare 2011

on Dec 16 tagged by admin

2011 has been another busy year for military healthcare, with many new developments, acts of bravery and dedication. Here is our round-up of military healthcare news in 2011.

January: Award Winners and New Developments

The year got off to a solid start with New Year’s Honours which recognised achievements in military medicine, including a Knighthood for Professor Sir Keith MacDonald Porter, a trauma care consultant at the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine.

January also heralded developments to make the Midlands the hub for military medicine in the UK and plans for collaboration between MOD and NHS staff. 

February: Bionic Technology for Soldiers

February saw the first British soldier fitted with a bionic arm. Corporal Andrew Garthwaite lost his arm in a grenade attack while serving in Afghanistan; less than six months later he was fitted with his new state-of-the-art prosthetic arm.

March: Discovering the Future of Military Medicine

Discussions about the future of military medicine were given centre stage in March, when leading experts in military medicine from around the world gathered together at Battlefield Healthcare 2011 conference in Birmingham to discuss advances in care and share experience.

April: Milestones for Military Medicine in Afghanistan

Two new milestones for military medicine in Afghanistan were reached in April, with the completion of the first medical evacuation flight by an Afghan flight medic, and the establishing of the first Afghan professional dental association – facilitated by the US Navy.

May: Medicine for Military Working Dogs

In May military medics learned how to treat a completely new species of patient as they learned the basic techniques for delivering emergency medical treatment to military working dogs. 

June: UK Armed Forces Day

June brought the celebration of the second annual Armed Forces Day in the UK. The second year saw an even bigger turn out than the first. TA medics marked the occasion by wearing their military uniforms to work, thereby raising awareness of the role they play.

July: Personnel Recovery Centre Launches

The first soldiers moved into Tedworth House, the H4H-funded Personnel Recovery and Assessment Centre in Tidworth, Wiltshire.

August: More Progress for Military Rehabilitation Centres

Progress on military rehabilitation centres continued in August with the official opening of another new centre at St Athan in South Wales. Like many of the other rehabilitation centres, St Athan provides exercise-based rehabilitation and physiotherapy for both residential and outpatients.

September: Defence and Security Equipment International

September brought the Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEi) exhibition to London. Ellis Pharma was among the specialist companies showcasing their capabilities and product range.

October: 10 Years of Healthcare Improvements in Afghanistan

7^th October marked ten years in Afghanistan for NATO troops. We looked back at developments and improvements in healthcare in Afghanistan brought about by military medicine during that time.

November: Remembrance and Celebration

As always November was a month for remembrance; remembering the achievements and sacrifices of those who have lost their lives in combat since the First World War. We took time to look back at some of the key military healthcare developments which took place during the First World War.

However, November is also a time for celebration in the military healthcare community, as it also brings us the Military and Civilian Health Partnership Awards, a time to recognise the achievements in military healthcare across a broad range of services and disciplines, from frontline medicine to primary healthcare in the UK.

December: Developments for Defence Medical Technology

December brought two key developments for defence medical technology, in the form of a new research centre for blast injuries and an innovative oxygen generator.