Armed Forces helping in largest ever peacetime resilience operation
Troops are helping in Manchester's North West Nightingale Hospital as well community testing centres across Greater Manchester.
Over 5,000 Armed Forces personnel are now deployed on the largest ever peacetime resilience operation, across all four of the home nations and focused on three strands of the Covid response - testing, vaccines and clinical support.
A further 800 defence medics are joining NHS workers on the front line of hospitals across the UK.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: “Defence medics are now deployed on the homefront in the highest numbers during peacetime, supporting the NHS in testing, vaccinating, and hospitals.
“Earlier this week, I spoke with Armed Forces personnel deployed in all four corners of the United Kingdom, helping communities across the country to combat the effects of this virus. They are working hard alongside colleagues in the NHS and local authorities, but are ready to do more if and when the call comes.”
Hundreds of defence medics are deploying to NHS hospitals across the UK to work in intensive care units and other patient facing roles, providing vital care alongside NHS professionals, and supported by general duties personnel to fulfil non-clinical roles and help relieve pressure on NHS colleagues wherever they are needed most.
Around 30 defence medics are supporting the North West Nightingale hospital.
Deployments continue in support of community testing across England, with 2,400 military personnel deployed on tasks in Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Derbyshire, Yorkshire and Kent.
The testing programmes are drawing on lessons from last year’s Liverpool pilot, helping to identify asymptomatic cases in specific cohorts and break chains of transmission, helping to keep key workers safe and able to undertake their essential jobs in support of the wider community.