Abstract

Over the past century trauma care within the Royal Navy (RN) has evolved; wartime experiences and military medical research have combined to allow signifi cant improvement in the care of casualties. This article describes the key maritime and amphibious operations that have seen the Royal Navy Medical Service (RNMS) deliver high levels of support to wherever the Naval Service has deployed in the last 100 years. Key advancements in which progress has led to improved outcomes for injured personnel are highlighted – the control and treatment of blood loss, wound care, and the prevention and management of organ failure with optimal resuscitation.

Historians often point out how slowly military medicine progressed for the fi rst few thousand years of its recorded history, and how quickly it has progressed in the last century. This refl ective article will show how the RNMS has been an integral part of that story, and how the lessons learnt by our predecessors have shaped our modern day doctrine surrounding trauma care.