The delivery of medical care to injured soldiers in Afghanistan is considered to be the best ever provided to deployed forces. The number of soldiers now surviving life-threatening injuries is the best in recorded history and testament to the expertise of the medical staff involved.

All soldiers are trained and equipped to provide First Aid, both for everyday situations and to look after each other on the battlefield. Teams of soldiers engaged in high-risk activities will have the support of one or more Army Medics, also known as Combat Medical Technicians. (CMT).

Soldiers also have access to a Regimental Medical Officer (RMO), who is able to provide the same level of medical attention as a General Practitioner. RMOs are trained in the management of trauma and their presence ensures the most seriously injured receive highly skilled medical attention at the earliest opportunity.

Medical teams

The medical training, equipment and facilities are among the best in the world. In addition, individual medical training not only gives extra confidence to the soldiers on patrol, but enables them to react quickly and correctly to situations, meaning they are better equipped to look after each other and save lives.

There are many different teams involved in extracting injured soldiers to the vital care they need.

• These include the helicopter medical team, also called a Medical Emergency Response Team (MERT), which uses a Chinook (large enough to allow treatment to continue in-flight).
• The RAF Aeromedical Evacuation team also plans the casualty's movement back to the UK. Sometimes a casualty will be on the way to Selly Oak Hospital within 48 hours of injury.

Follow this link to find out more about the Casualty Care Procedure: