Navy News
Direct from the front-line, the official newspaper of the Royal Navy, Navy News, brings you the latest news, features and award winning photos every month.
Royal Navy Delivers First Combat Medic Course on Board an Operational Warship
31 July 2026
The Royal Navy has successfully hosted its first Combat Medic Course (CMC) in a maritime environment, helping to shape the future of operational medical training and ensuring personnel are better prepared to provide lifesaving care at sea.
Nineteen members of Portsmouth Flotilla Ships' medical teams took part in the course, which is delivered by the Defence Medical Academy and combined classroom-based learning with realistic practical training onboard HMS Queen Elizabeth.
The course is part of the Royal Navy's wider effort to modernise operational medical training and adopt a more consistent approach to casualty care across Defence and NATO partners.
The Combat Medic Course has been designed for Royal Navy Medical Assistants, Army Combat Medical Technicians and RAF Medics, providing them with the knowledge and skills needed to manage casualties in challenging operational environments. While previous courses have largely focused on land-based scenarios, this was the first time the training had been delivered partly onboard a Royal Navy warship.
The week-long programme began in Portsmouth's Ark Royal Building, where students received instruction on managing severe bleeding, airway injuries, breathing and circulation problems, head injuries, pain relief, wound management, splinting and prolonged casualty care. Training then moved onboard HMS Queen Elizabeth, where students practised their skills in realistic maritime scenarios.
Practical exercises included casualty treatment under simulated operational conditions, allowing students to experience the unique challenges of providing medical care at sea. The course concluded with written and practical examinations.
This was the eighth Combat Medic Course to be delivered, but the first to include training onboard a Royal Navy vessel.
A spokesperson involved in the training said:
"This is the first time we have delivered the Combat Medic Course in a fully maritime environment. It has allowed us to identify some of the unique challenges that operating at sea presents and will help us make further improvements to the course in the future."
The Combat Medic Course forms part of the Defence Medical Services’ broader Tactical Combat Casualty Care programme, which is creating a common approach to battlefield and operational casualty care across Defence. The programme aims to ensure personnel across the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force are trained using the same principles and procedures, helping improve cooperation between Services and with NATO allies.
Lt Greg Vardon-Smith, a spokesperson for the Maritime Medical Integrated Force Programme said: “By aligning our training with the wider Defence and NATO medical community, we are ensuring that our people speak the same medical language, apply the same principles under pressure, and deliver the best possible care to casualties wherever operations take them, enhancing survivability across Defence.”
The successful delivery of the first Combat Medic Course conducted within a maritime environment represents a significant milestone for the Royal Navy, demonstrating its commitment to world-class medical training, and ensuring its people are ready to provide effective casualty care wherever operations take them.