Institute Naval Medicine

Our mission is to optimise the operational capability of the Royal Navy and UK Defence by the provision of robust medical and scientific outputs. Our aim is to excel in achieving that mission and to maintain and enhance our standing as a world class centre in occupational health, particularly in problems associated with work and operations in maritime and climatically hostile environments.

NM’s principal areas of business areas are:

• Providing well informed advice and information, on maritime and military health and safety, based on expert knowledge, long experience and an international network of expert colleagues, to fulfil customer requirements.

• Where required knowledge is not available, undertaking occupational health research and surveys to improve operational effectiveness in all environments where Naval personnel may be required to serve.

• Training operationally deployable specialist medical and scientific staff, notably in diving, submarine and radiation medicine and having specified numbers available to meet operational requirements.

• Delivering specialist training in maritime medicine, health and safety and radiological protection to medical and non-medical personnel to agreed standards or to meet operational requirements - provided principally by on-site specialists and acting as customer agent of the Defence Medical Education and Training Agency.

• Providing clinical opinions and treatments, as required, to appropriate professional standards.

• Providing central medical administration services, including managing the Naval Service’s Medical Boards of Survey to determine the correct medical employability category so that Naval personnel may be employed to best effect. Additionally to provide medico-legal advice, medical resettlement, and to process the medical records of those who have left the service, including the provision of copies of documents when requested.

INM work in close association with colleagues in the Environmental Sciences division of the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory , whose Radiological Protection Services are co-located on the INM site.