More than 16 healthcare teams tackled casualty care and blindfolded navigation on Dartmoor during Exercise Medical Endeavour, and several medical professionals now serving as Army Reservists started out on an exercise just like it, according to the British Army.
The annual event at Okehampton Training Camp, hosted by 243 (Wessex) Multi-Role Medical Regiment, brought healthcare professionals from the south and southwest of England together for two days of physical and mental challenges delivered by personnel from the British Army’s Volunteer Reserve Force.
The Army said NHS teams “swapped hospital scrubs for Army combats” and were tested on leadership, teamwork and decision-making under pressure, and that the exercise strengthens links between NHS Trusts and Army Reserve medical personnel.
Warrant Officer Class One Jane Hosker, of 243 Multi-Role Medical Regiment, said: “This takes participants out of their comfort zone, gives them a taste of military life and makes them realise that they can achieve more than they think they can.” She added: “There are several medical professionals here today as Army Reservists who started out on an Exercise just like this one.”
Teams of eight worked through activities ranging from caring for casualties under fire and casualty management to military problem-solving scenarios, which included map reading and navigation whilst blindfolded. The exercise culminated in the training camp’s obstacle course. Clear communication, situational awareness, leadership, followership and decision-making under stress were all tested through the practical challenges, and the Army said the event showed the “mutual benefits” when NHS employers support staff who serve, or are interested in serving, in the Volunteer Reserve Forces.
Nathani Ogbu, a doctor at Torbay Hospital who has previously worked with the military in Nigeria, is applying to join the Army Reserve. She said: “I’ll be able to take elements from this weekend and use day-to-day at work. For me it is all about communication, teamwork, and interpersonal relationships. I’m looking forward to combining my medical skills within a military environment in the future.”
The overall winners of Exercise Medical Endeavour 2026 were Kernow Health, a team from Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust. The event previously ran as the South West NHS Military Challenge, and Dorset County NHS Trust took the title in 2024. Soldiers from 144 (Parachute) Medical Squadron trained alongside the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service near Glasgow on a simulated gas explosion this year, and 256 (City of London) Field Hospital ran Exercise Medical Challenge for 97 NHS staff in 2019.
