Medical and Eye Test

All members of the Royal Navy, including Nurses, Dentists, Doctors, Chefs, Logisticians, Engineers, Royal Marines and Seaman are expected to be able to be deployed into demanding and unpleasant environments, and remain there without external support for long periods. These can vary from fighting in desert conditions in Afghanistan, extended patrols at sea, on the surface or in submarines, to fighting in Arctic regions.   Anyone who is not healthy and fit will not only be unable to fight, but will also be a burden the people around them, reducing the unit’s efficiency, and the RN has a duty of care not only to the individual but also to the rest of the team. It is therefore imperative that we do all we can to ensure the all personnel are fully fit and able to fight.  

All members of the Naval Service are expected to be able to wear breathing apparatus, possibly when flying, fighting  fires onboard ships or fighting in gas masks for extended periods, in a chemical or nuclear environment, without the support of regular medical supplies.   In order to achieve this all candidates to the Royal Navy must undergo medical examination, which will include eyesight tests, prior to joining, to ensure they are fit to fight from the beginning of their careers. Eyesight tests are important as all personnel are required to monitor radars, work on complex equipments, and read maps or instructions wherever they are deployed, particularly when it may not be possible to re-supply specialist optical requirements.   Medical examinations are carried out by MoD approved doctors, to a tri-service standard, and are situated nationwide, to enable all candidates to have a reasonable distance to travel for their examination.