Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the 2025 Strategic Defence Review, what progress has he made in empowering Defence Medical Services as the functional lead of a single Defence Medical Enterprise that meets personnel’s healthcare needs in peacetime, on operations, and in war, as outlined in Recommendation 58.

Defence Medical Services has transitioned to a Lead Command model under Cyber and Specialist Operations Command (CSOC), marking Initial Operating Capability (IOC) and a significant milestone in how Defence medical capability is led and delivered across Defence.

As part of this change, Headquarters Defence Medical Services has become Defence Medical Command (DMedC), and the role of Director General Defence Medical Services has been restyled as Chief of Defence Medical (CDMed).

Under these arrangements, Defence Medical Command will be empowered to make decisions that ensure delivery of integrated healthcare services and medical support, aligned across Defence, with Allies and with the NHS, that is prioritised and cohered to meet Defence needs.