From scrubs to soldiering: NHS staff tackle military medical challenge

• NHS teams swapped hospital scrubs for Army combats in a unique military medical challenge on Dartmoor.

• Participants were tested on leadership, teamwork, and decision-making under pressure across demanding scenarios.

• Exercise Medical Endeavour strengthens links between NHS Trusts and Army Reserve medical personnel as they take up top Reservist training offers.

Healthcare professionals from the south and southwest of England have stepped into the boots of military medics during Exercise Medical Endeavour at Okehampton Training Camp on Dartmoor.

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A staff member from the NHS during in the tunnels during the assault course challenge.

Physical training staff of 243 Wessex Multi Role Medical Regiment taking NHS staff over the assault course during the exercise.

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The annual event, hosted by 243 (Wessex) Multi-Role Medical Regiment (243MMR), challenged NHS teams to swap their everyday clinical environments for demanding military-style scenarios designed to test resilience, teamwork, and leadership.

More than 16 teams from NHS Trusts and healthcare organisations took part in two days of physical and mental challenges delivered by personnel from the British Army’s Volunteer Reserve Force.

Warrant Officer Class One (WO1), Jane Hosker, 243 Multi-Role Medical Regiment said:

“This takes participants out of their comfort zone, gives them a taste of military life and makes them realise that they can achieve more than they think they can.”

Events such as Exercise Medical Endeavour provide an opportunity to highlight the capabilities of Army Reserve medical units while encouraging closer collaboration with healthcare organisations.

WO1 Hosker added:

“There are several medical professionals here today as Army Reservists who started out on an Exercise just like this one.”

Teams of eight worked through realistic activities ranging from caring for casualties whilst under fire, casualty management, and military problem-solving scenarios, which included map reading and navigational skills whilst blindfolded. The Exercise culminated in the training camp's obstacle course, requiring participants to apply physical endurance and effective teamwork under pressure.

Throughout the weekend, teams experienced first-hand the human factors that underpin success in both military and healthcare environments. Clear communication, situational awareness, leadership, followership, and decision-making under stress were all brought to life through practical challenges.

Beyond the competition, the Exercise highlighted the mutual benefits created when NHS employers support staff who serve or are interested in serving in the Volunteer Reserve Forces.

Having had previous experience working with the military in Nigeria, Nathani Ogbu, a Doctor at Torbay Hospital, is currently in the process of applying to join the Army Reserve Force. She said:

“I’ll be able to take elements from this weekend and use day-to-day at work. For me it is all about communication, teamwork, and interpersonal relationships. I’m looking forward to combining my medical skills within a military environment in the future.”

As the final teams crossed the finish line, Exercise Medical Endeavour once again demonstrated how military and civilian healthcare professionals can learn from one another, strengthening relationships and developing skills that are equally valuable in hospitals, clinics, and operational environments.

Once all the points were tallied up, the overall winners of Exercise Medical Endeavour 2026 were Kernow Health, a team from Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust.

The British Army is recruiting right now to fill 10,000 jobs across the UK with more than 200 roles to choose from, covering everything from frontline combat and cyber security to helicopter pilots, chefs, and support roles. If you’re aged 16 to 50 and if you want to find out more about a career in the Army, click Army Jobs website.