Abstract

This review presents the UK Defence Medical Services’ involvement in non-combatant evacuation operations (NEOs) in the last two decades. It examines the key medical lessons identified from those operations from publications and witness statements, and discusses key aspects that medical commanders and clinicians should consider in the future, particularly preparation, training and equipping personnel and units for future NEOs. The majority of those UK medical assets that are likely to deploy on NEOs have little or no NEO training and are ill equipped to deal with the common non-battlefield casualties seen in NEOs. Medical management of the elderly, paediatrics, chronic disease and infectious diseases are particular capability gaps.