The Secretary of State for Defence, Rt Hon Ben Wallace MP, made a statement to the House of Commons today (12th January) on the Ministry of Defence’s (MoD) support our NHS in the national Covid-19 response. The Armed Forces have supported the Government across a range of activities, including planning support for Local Authorities and assisting with the national testing effort. They have deployed dozens of military planners across the UK, working with Local Resilience Forums and Partnerships as well as alongside the Emergency Co-ordination Centres in Scotland and Wales. In England, they are providing additional expert resource to support local communities and businesses, and to roll out tracing systems. Furthermore, military personnel have been deployed to civil authorities to help free up council resources so Local Authorities can focus on critical areas, including enforcing relevant restrictions.
Regarding national testing, the Armed Forces have been supporting the Government’s efforts to increase the national testing capacity and aiding Local Authorities to get tests to those who need them. This includes working with Birmingham City Council on a Drop and Collect testing initiative, as well as supporting the coordination of a volunteer network in Nottingham, and by providing 2,000 personnel for the piloting of ‘Whole Town Testing’ in Liverpool. Scientists based at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) have also been supporting and working with Public Health England to increase testing capacity nationwide, by up to 7000 tests a day.
The Defence Secretary had the following to say in his statement to the House today on the Ministry of Defence’s support for the nationwide vaccination rollout:
“...we have established a Vaccine Quick Reaction Force of medically trained personnel who are assigned to the 7 NHS England regions. They can be deployed at short notice in the event of any disruptions to the established vaccination process and can be scaled-up if required by any of the National Health services across the United Kingdom.
“Throughout the pandemic it is understanding the requirement that has been defence’s priority in order to tailor make the most appropriate support.
“That is why we have sent 10 Military Assessment Teams to each of the 10 NHS regions and Devolved Administrations. They are helping to assess the situation on the ground before formulating and coordinating the most effective response. For example, we currently have experts working at the newly reopened NHS London Nightingale – a hospital and a mass vaccination facility – that will help the capital handle Covid-19’s second wave.”
The full statement by the Secretary of State can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/defence-secretary-oral-statement-defences-covid-19-support
After the Defence Secretary’s statement, Mims Davies MP reiterated her support for the military and Ministry of Defence’s efforts over the course of this pandemic:
“I just want to take this opportunity to also pay tribute to the fantastic work of service personnel during the Government’s response to Covid-19. Their hard-work and professionalism demonstrate why our military are admired and respected all over the world.”