Surgeon-General (United Kingdom)

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Surgeon General of the United Kingdom Armed Forces
Ministry of Defence tri-Service Badge
Incumbent
Timothy Hodgetts
since 21 May 2021
Defence Medical Services
WebsiteDefence Medical Services

The title Surgeon-General has been used for different purposes at different times in the United Kingdom. Initially it was the designation of a director of the Army's medical services. Subsequently it was a senior

First World War, the title was again revived in the late 20th century for the most senior uniformed medical officer in the British Armed Forces. Currently, it pertains to a senior uniformed medical officer, working under the Director General Defence Medical Services
.

Army

Office

With the formation of a

Physician-in-Ordinary and Serjeant Surgeon took on a similar role informally, before being appointed 'Surgeon General of all the Forces in England and Wales', in 1664. In 1685, a Physician-General was also appointed; together, they directed the Army's medical services. These two offices lapsed following the establishment of the Army Medical Department in 1810.[1]

Rank

In 1873, following the abolition of the regimental system of appointing and supervising medical officers, the title of surgeon-general was used for the highest rank of medical officers in Army Medical Department (replacing that of inspector-general of hospitals and signifying their broader authority).

major-general, except for the most senior surgeon-general, who was redesignated a lieutenant-general.[3]

Royal Navy

In July 1911, the titles of inspector-general of hospitals and fleets and deputy inspector-general of hospitals and fleets were replaced by surgeon-general, Royal Navy, and deputy surgeon-general, Royal Navy, respectively.[4]

In November 1918, the titles of officers of the medical, accountant and naval instructor branches of the Navy were revised "in order to indicate more clearly their status as Officers of [His] Majesty's Naval Service"; thenceforward surgeons-general were styled surgeon rear-admirals and deputy surgeons-general were styled surgeon captains.[5]

Defence Medical Services

In 1985, as part of a move toward greater co-ordination between the medical departments of the three

Director General Army Medical Services).[6]

Latterly, the role was described as "professional head of Defence Medical Services and the Defence Authority for end to end Defence healthcare and medical operational capability".[7] It had always been held by a three-star military medical officer;[8] but in July 2019 a civilian was appointed to the role for the first time, Peter Homa, whose job title was Director General Defence Medical Services (DGDMS).[9] Under Peter Homa as DGDMS, Air Vice-Marshal Alastair Reid (who had been appointed to the two-star position of Defence Medical Director in 2018) was designated Surgeon-General.[10]

Subsequently, a serving military medical officer, Air Marshal Clare Walton, has been appointed to the three-star post of Director General Defence Medical Services; but the title Surgeon General has remained attached to the two-star position.[11]

As of 2024, the responsibilities of the DGDMS include:[12]

  • being the functional lead for medical and healthcare within the Ministry of Defence
  • leading the transformation of the Defence Medical Services
  • ensuring all UK Armed Forces personnel receive safe, efficient and effective healthcare.

The responsibilities of the Surgeon General include:[13]

  • maximising the number of service personnel fit for task through securing appropriate levels of health; optimising the health and healthcare of deployed population at risk throughout the operational patient care pathway.
  • the senior technical authority for defence medicine, including prevention, detection, treatment, and recovery from the full spectrum of illness and injury.
  • strategic advice on defence medical doctrine, concepts, capability planning, force development and lessons.
  • directing medical research and medical innovation in Defence, the co-ordination of strategic DMS defence engagement and directing continuous clinical quality improvement in defence.

List of Surgeons-General since 1985

For Directors General Defence Medical Services, see Defence Medical Services#List of Directors General since 2019

Rank Name Post-nominals Years in office
Lieutenant General
 Sir Cameron Moffat
FRCS
 1985–1988[6]
Surgeon
Vice Admiral
 Sir Godfrey Milton-Thompson
FRCP
 1988–1990[14]
Air Marshal
 Sir Nigel Mills
FRCP
 1990–1991[15]
Lieutenant General
 Sir Peter Beale
FRCP
 1991–1994[16]
Surgeon Vice Admiral Anthony Revell
FRCA
 1994–1997[17]
Air Marshal Sir John Baird
FRCPE
 1997–2000[18]
Lieutenant General Robert Menzies
QHS
 2000–2002[19]
Surgeon Vice Admiral Ian Jenkins
FRCS
 2002–2006[20]
Lieutenant General Louis Lillywhite
FRCP
 2006–2009[21]
Surgeon Vice Admiral Philip Raffaelli
FRCP
 2009–2012[22]
Air Marshal Paul Evans
QHP
 2012–2015[23]
Surgeon Vice Admiral Alasdair Walker
FRCS
 2015–2018[24]
Air Vice-Marshal Richard Broadbridge
FRCGP
 2017 (acting)[25]
Lieutenant General Martin Bricknell
QHP
 2018–2019[26]
Air Vice-Marshal Alastair Reid
QHP
 2019–2021[27][8]
Major General Timothy Hodgetts
DL
 2021–2024[28]
Major General Philip McNee 2024–[29]

References

  1. ^ a b c Roper, Michael (1998). The Records of the War Office and Related Departments, 1660–1964. Kew, Surrey: Public Record Office.
  2. ^ "No. 26196". The London Gazette. 28 August 1891. p. 4615.
  3. ^ "No. 30906". The London Gazette (Supplement). 17 September 1918. p. 11141.
  4. ^ "Admiralty Order in Council No. 137". The Orders in Council for Regulation of the Naval Service. Vol. X. London: Eyre and Spottiswoode. 1914. pp. 197–198.
  5. ^ "Admiralty Order in Council No. 48". The Orders in Council for Regulation of the Naval Service. Vol. XII. London: Eyre and Spottiswoode. 1926. pp. 422–423.
  6. ^ a b "Moffat, Sir Cameron William (1929 - 2014)". Royal College of Surgeons of England. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  7. ^ "Defence Medical Services". GOV.UK. Ministry of Defence.
  8. ^ a b "Defence Medical Services head appointed". GOV.UK. Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 31 July 2019.
  9. ^ "Peter Homa appointed as New Director General Defence Medical Services". Peter Homa appointed as New Director General Defence Medical Services. London. 4 July 2019. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  10. ^ "Air Vice-Marshal Reid CB QHP" (PDF). Friends of Millbank. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  11. ^ "Air Marshal Clare Walton CB KHP". GOV.UK. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  12. ^ "Air Marshal Clare Walton CB KHP". GOV.UK. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  13. ^ "Announcement of Brigadier Philip McNee as Surgeon General". GOV.UK. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  14. ^ "Surgeon Vice-Admiral Sir Godfrey Milton-Thompson". The Telegraph. 28 October 2012. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  15. ^ ‘MILLS, Air Marshal Sir Nigel (Holroyd)’, Who Was Who, A & C Black, 1920–2008; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2007 Who was Who, accessed 26 April 2011
  16. ^ Letters to the Editor 15 March 2007 The Telegraph
  17. ^ Gulf War Illnesses Archived 2011-10-09 at the Wayback Machine
  18. ^ "Winds of Destruction". Archived from the original on January 5, 2009.
  19. ^ "kilmarnockacademy.co.uk". www.kilmarnockacademy.co.uk.
  20. ^ Obituary The Telegraph
  21. ^ Louis Lillywhite MOD
  22. ^ "Ministry of Defence: Defence Medical Services". Retrieved 2013-04-27.
  23. ^ "Defence Medical Services". GOV.UK.
  24. ^ "No. 61488". The London Gazette (Supplement). 2 February 2016. p. 1994.
  25. ^ "Broadbridge, 5th Baron, (Air Vice-Marshal Richard John Martin Broadbridge) (born 20 Jan. 1959)". Who's Who 2021. Oxford University Press. 1 December 2020. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  26. ^ "No. 62610". The London Gazette (Supplement). 9 April 2019. p. 6432.
  27. ^ "Joint Forces Command senior, as of March 2019". assets.publishing.service.gov.uk. UK Ministry of Defence. 28 October 2020. Retrieved 3 November 2020. AVM Alastair Reid Acting Surgeon General
  28. ^ "No. 63358". The London Gazette (Supplement). 25 May 2021. p. 9308.
  29. ^ "Announcement of Brigadier Philip McNee as Surgeon General". GOV.UK.

External links

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