PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Ngozi E Dufty
AU  - M S Bailey
TI  - UK Role 4 Military Infection Services: past, present and future
AID  - 10.1136/jramc-2013-000088
DP  - 2013 Sep 01
TA  - Journal of the Royal Army Medical Corps
PG  - 141--143
VI  - 159
IP  - 3
4099  - http://militaryhealth.bmj.com/content/159/3/141.short
4100  - http://militaryhealth.bmj.com/content/159/3/141.full
SO  - J R Army Med Corps2013 Sep 01; 159
AB  - NATO describes ‘Role 4’ military medical services as those provided for the definitive care of patients who cannot be treated within a theatre of operations and these are usually located in a military force's country of origin and may include the involvement of civilian medical services. The UK Defence Medical Services have a proud history of developing and providing clinical services in infectious diseases and tropical medicine, sexual health and HIV medicine, and medical microbiology and virology. These UK Role 4 Military Infection Services have adapted well to recent overseas deployments, but new challenges will arise due to current military cutbacks and a greater diversity of contingency operations in the future. Further evidence-based development of these services will require leadership by military clinicians and improved communication and support for ‘reach-back’ services.