From 21-23 January, UK-Med participated in a training exercise with the British Army’s 16 Medical Regiment. On the windswept moors of the Brecon Beacons, medics simulated a first phase humanitarian response within arm’s reach of British forces battling a fictitious invasion.
The exercise, titled ‘Operation Winged Serpent’, aimed to test civilian/military coordination and improve field-based cooperation between UK-Med and the British Army’s medical support team. Participating UK-Med medics encountered a barrage of true-to-life scenarios, from negotiating with armed militia to providing lifesaving care with limited resources. In the span of 72 hours, they managed to establish a mock stabilisation point and primary health clinic to support displaced civilians.
“What is fascinating is there is a natural transition from military medical work to humanitarian work. Some organisations are suspicious about that, but UK-Med is very pragmatic about it,” said Professor Shehan Hettiaratchy, an NHS and former army surgeon who was recently awarded an OBE for his humanitarian work.
Shehan spent 20 years as a reservist with 16 Medical Regiment before applying his skills to the humanitarian field, deploying to both Gaza and Ukraine with UK-Med. The imperturbable surgeon was part of the 13-person team that participated in Operation Winged Serpent. The group comprised doctors, nurses, paramedics, and specialists in logistics and operations.
“There are a lot of transferable skills, like being able to stay calm even under immense pressure. These skills are highly valued by UK-Med, given the depth of its contemporary experience providing healthcare in conflict zones, with enduring missions in both Ukraine and Gaza. This training allows UK-Med to hone those skills and share our experiences with 16 Medical Regiment, and to practise engaging with actors outside of the aid sector,” he said.
Healthcare in conflict: maintaining operational readiness as an Emergency Medical Team (EMT)
During conflict, local health services come under immense strain to treat the surge of ill and injured people, particularly when mass displacement is triggered. The scale of need that arises often necessitates the deployment of international EMTs such as UK-Med: a pattern seen in multiple conflict settings. As the most deployed EMT globally, UK-Med medics carry substantial experience in conflict and disaster zones.
“The nature of our work – providing healthcare in emergencies – sometimes places us close to the frontline during armed conflicts,” said Lizzi Marmont, UK-Med Senior Operations Manager and Team Lead for the exercise. Like Professor Hettiaratchy, Lizzi was awarded an OBE for humanitarian services, having led UK-Med teams in multiple responses, including Ukraine, Gaza, and Lebanon.
“In those contexts, we might operate in the same area as armed actors, in which case we need to know how to engage with them. Our top priority is saving lives, and we need all the tools and mechanisms at our disposal to achieve that and support the local population. Especially as they are the ones that suffer the most during conflict.”
Strengthening cooperation based on real-world humanitarian responses
Interoperability between UK-Med and 16 Medical Regiment in disaster zones is not only theoretical: the lessons learned on the wintry hills in Wales have their roots in real humanitarian crises. In February 2023, after a powerful earthquake claimed 60,000 lives in Türkiye and Syria, UK-Med, deploying on behalf of the UK government, set up a primary health clinic near the epicentre of the quake in southern Türkiye.
Simultaneously, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) deployed 82 personnel from 16 Medical Regiment, who established a second field hospital nearby. Both teams worked side by side to provide critical healthcare, coordinating the allocation of health services between the two facilities and establishing a referral pathway from UK-Med to the MoD field hospital, which had additional surgical and mental health capacity to support the wider EMT response. Operation Winged Serpent aimed to build on this cooperation, identifying areas of collaboration in a theoretical humanitarian response during conflict.
Captain Welsh, Training Officer with 16 Medical Regiment, remarked:
“It was excellent to have UK-Med attend exercise Winged Serpent. Having worked together previously during the humanitarian response in Türkiye (Operation Greenlighter), it is always important to maintain the mutually beneficial relationships built in such circumstances.
“We each had our training objectives to achieve, but working out how we could work together in the future and understanding where the frictions are can only really be tested in an exercise environment. We look forward to continued integration, and the sharing of knowledge and skills with UK-Med.”
How to join UK-Med
To support its global responses, UK-Med relies on a register of more than 1,200 highly trained doctors, nurses, paramedics, surgeons, and other health specialists, alongside humanitarian professionals in areas such as logistics, operations, and HR.
Exciting opportunities to join the UK-Med register will be advertised soon. Check our vacancies page (www.uk-med.org/vacancies) or follow us on social media to stay abreast of the latest opportunities.
