Defence Medical Services Training Centre

The Defence Medical Services Training Centre (DMSTC) is based in Ash Vale, Surrey. It is the training centre of Defence Medical Services. It trains military personnel to deal with situations that civilian paramedics would be involved with; more advanced than first aid.

History
It was known as the Royal Army Medical Corps Training Centre, later the Army Medical Services Training Cantre. Keogh Barracks has been the headquarters of the Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC), and is named after Sir Alfred Keogh. Keogh Barracks has also been the base of the Army Medical Directorate, now in Camberley.

It was part of the Defence Medical Training Organisation which was formed in 1996, and is now part of Defence Medical Services.

The Royal Defence Medical College was opened in Gosport near Portsmouth to train military physicians, who were previously trained at their respective service's specialised institutions such as the Royal Army Medical College and RAF Institute of Aviation Medicine. The RCDM later moved to Birmingham near the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine and was incorporated as part of the University of Birmingham Medical School.

There are plans to move the centre and Defence Medical Services to the Whittington Barracks by between 2012-14. It will be under the command of the Joint Medical Command.

On Thursday 23rd January 2014 a final 'farewell' parade is to take place at Keogh Barracks before the handover and move of DMS to their new base.

Function
It trains about 7,000 personnel a year, on a choice of 56 courses, lasting up to 38 weeks each. Courses include Battlefield Advanced Trauma Life Support (BATLS) and Ambulance Technician.

Structure
It is a Ministry of Defence Agency that provides Phase 2 training for medical personnel for all three armed forces (Combat Medical Technicians - CMTs and Medical Assistants - MAs), excluding that for medical doctors (from university medical schools). It does offer graduate training.

It has 34 classrooms, a conference centre and a Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Training Wing.

It is sited on Mytchett Place Road just south of Mytchett, to the east of Aldershot, next to the Alton Line railway and near the Ash Vale railway station. It is on the Aldershot to Pirbright road, east of the B3166 junction with the A331.

The Army Medical Services Museum is based at the centre.

The centre trains the:
 * Army Medical Services
 * Royal Navy Medical Service
 * RAF Medical Branch

Commandants of the Royal Army Medical Corps Training Centre

 * Brigadier Desmond Murphy (1970 to 1973)
 * Brigadier Richard Bradshaw (1973 to 1975)

News items

 * Times July 2008