The military are on standby

[PlomBear]

My husband is a military officer and on standby to assist if called upon by the emergency services. He doesn’t know what this will involve.

Considering he’s a pilot and currently works in a desk based job I’m not entirely sure what he’ll be useful doing!

There have been articles in the press about military doctors and nurses helping out in the NHS. He did point out that all the military medics already work within the NHS and the military hospitals have been sold off for luxury flats. Shame, as they could have been useful right now! Haslar especially.

Military hospitals simply didn't see enough patients to keep the medics in date with adequate COD, which is why they moved to wings in NHS hospitals and ability to share staff. But DMS is about way more than hospital posts.

If you want a field hospital, or rapid conversion of a warehouse toma ward, they wouid be the people to do it. People with recent PPE experience - ask those who went to deal with Ebola (there is already provision to call back ex-military who have not yet reached the mandatory retirement age, plus reservists - though if those people are already working in health fields, they may in practice be unavailable)

You can also fill gaps in a remarkable number f their roles: driving tankers and HGVs (including hazardous materials), firefighting, crewing ambulances, some police roles, many engineering roles (probably alongside the regular personnel, not instead of, but a supply of reasonably trained people).

If he’s a pilot then he could be useful transport patients/Brits stuck overseas or food/other essential supplies.

I'd hope that are!

There’s a bit of misinformation in your post OP - military medics don’t all work for the NHS or in military hospitals.

I would expect the military and armed police to be mobilised at some point to keep order and to ensure people stay in lockkdown and keep to supermarket restrictions once we go into full lockkdown. It therefore makes sense that military personnel are on standby.

My son hasn't said anything but then again perhaps he has been told not to say anything.
Or he doesn't want to tell his mum!

The military are always on standby. They just increase or decrease numbers/roles on standby depending on the current situation. It would be more worrying if they weren’t tbh.

The military are always on standby. It's their bloody job fgs.

I hope they bloody are on standby.

I'd have been shocked if they weren't!

They’re always on standby it’s literally the point of the military

The level of readiness of the military varies, depending on circumstances. More would be put on short notice to move as chances of deployment increase.

The obvious confounder is that military personnel will be just as susceptible to the virus, and just as likely to need to isolate, as anyone else

I'm in the US and a lot of State National Guards are on standby. I consider it pretty normal under the circumstance. I think doing it now allows for time for personnel to make their own plans for their own families (and civilian jobs) wrt childcare, finances, etc in case of any prolonged absences.

I don't think it means that they're going to actually be activated any time soon.

Maybe they could stop idiots from buying up all the foods in the supermarkets.

Ok wasn't aware of their actual status.

Good. I've just said on another thread that we're in a war. Needs meticulous planning and coordination. Things like production of PPE, ventilators needs to be drastically stepped up, with additional personnel drafted in, rather than just relying on various individual manufacturers doing what they can.

Well, my DH isn’t always on standby This is the first time in his career. It’s not the norm.

I’m not aware of any NHS hospitals that have military wings - I think that Birmingham has one military ward? When they closed RNH Stonehouse, Derriford Hospital, created a single ward, Stonehouse Ward. It’s now a surgical ward. Royal Navy medical staff work in the hospital alongside NHS staff. Not caring for military personnel.

Whenever DH books a medical appointment at work he sees a civvy locum GP, not a military doctor. My point is, there are not legions of armed forces medics waiting to jump into action in the NHS like the Daily Mail is claiming, nor are there military hospitals like much of the public seem to think.

The locals of Gosport were saddened when Haslar closed as NHS services were provided there, they now have to trek to Cosham to the QA.

The military/NHS units are in Birmingham, Northallerton, Portsmouth, Surrey and there used to be one in Peterborough but I'm not sure that still exists.

But agree, DMS has had swingeing cuts, and there aren't lots of trained medical personnel who would be able to step in.

But the role for the military won't just be directly medical. They can deal with all sorts of civil contingencies. One idea I had on a whim was that they could staff decontamination/deeper than deep clean units. It wouid be excellent reinforcement of BCW/PPE drills

It absolutely is the norm for the army at least. They’ll be on standby for all sorts of things. DH was on standby for stuff like ambulance driving, fuel tanker driving, flood assistance, crowd control and disaster relief. You’re being a bit naive if you think a desk-based pilot’s experience is the norm for everyone.