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Medical Civil–Military Relationships: A Feasibility Study of a United Kingdom Deployment in South Sudan

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 August 2019

S. T. Horne Open the ORCID record for S. T. Horne [Opens in a new window] ,
I. Gurney ,
J.E. Smith  and
R. Sullivan
S. T. Horne*
Affiliation:
Senior Lecturer in Emergency Medicine, Royal Centre for Defence Medicine Conflict and Health Research Group, King’s CollegeLondon
I. Gurney
Affiliation:
Lecturer in Emergency Medicine, Royal Centre for Defence Medicine
J.E. Smith
Affiliation:
Defence Professor of Emergency Medicine, Royal Centre for Defence Medicine
R. Sullivan
Affiliation:
Conflict and Health Research Group, King’s CollegeLondon
*
Correspondence and reprint requests to Simon T. Horne, Emergency Department, Derriford Hospital, Plymouth PL6 8DH, UK (e-mail: [email protected])
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Abstract

Objectives:

Civil–military relationships are necessary in humanitarian emergencies but, if poorly managed, may be detrimental to the efforts of humanitarian organizations. Awareness of guidelines and understanding of risks relating to the relationship among deployed military personnel have not been evaluated.

Methods:

Fifty-five military and 12 humanitarian healthcare workers in South Sudan completed questionnaires covering experience, training and role, agreement with statements about the deployment, and free text comments.

Results:

Both cohorts were equally aware of current guidance. Eight themes defined the relationship. There was disagreement about the benefit to the South Sudanese people of the military deployment, and whether military service was compatible with beneficial health impacts. Two key obstacles to the relationship and 3 areas the relationship could be developed were identified.

Conclusion:

This study shows that United Kingdom military personnel are effectively trained and understand the constraints on the civil–military relationship. Seven themes in common between the groups describe the relationship. Current guidance could be adapted to allow a different relationship for healthcare workers.

Keywords

civil–militaryhealth systemshumanitarian emergencydisaster
Type
Original Research
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 14 , Issue 5 , October 2020 , pp. 568 - 576
Copyright
Copyright © 2019 Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc.

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