Major General Phil Carter, Surgeon General of the UK Armed Forces, will take on the role of interim Chief Defence Medical following the retirement of Air Marshal Clare Walton
The appointment is on a temporary basis while a permanent Chief Defence Medical is selected. Major General Carter will continue as Surgeon General throughout his time as interim Chief Defence Medical, fulfilling both roles simultaneously
As interim Chief Defence Medical, he will provide continuity of leadership as Defence Medical strives to meet the challenges set out in the Strategic Defence Review published last year. As it moves to a war fighting footing, and implements the investment set out in the Defence Investment Plan, Defence Medical will continue to support current operations and commitments
Major General Phil Carter, Surgeon General and interim Chief Defence Medical, said:
Air Marshal Clare Walton leaves an exceptional legacy. Her leadership has helped place Defence Medical at the heart of Defence’s strategic conversation, steering Defence Medical through the aftermath of the COVID pandemic, providing medical support to Ukraine, through the Strategic Defence Review, Defence Reform and the work on the Defence Investment Plan. I want to add my thanks to her for her long service and dedication to patients and the Defence Medical Services.
It is an enormous privilege to lead the Defence Medical team even for a short period as the interim Chief and I know that we can and will rise to the challenges we are facing. Defence Medical is an astonishing team of teams. We are particularly adept at coming together in multidisciplinary teams to solve problems, it is in our DNA and it is how we have operated for decades
Air Marshal Clare Walton, outgoing Chief Defence Medical, said:
It has been an enormous privilege to lead Defence Medical and to work alongside the exceptional military and civilian personnel who deliver healthcare and medical support across Defence every day
Over recent years we have strengthened Defence Medical’s role within Defence, secured recognition of the importance of military healthcare within the Strategic Defence Review and helped secure investment through the Defence Investment Plan that will modernise our capabilities and improve the support we provide to our people
I know that Major General Carter will provide strong leadership and continuity as Defence Medical takes forward this important programme of change until a permanent Chief Defence Medical is appointed
The transition comes at a pivotal moment for Defence Medical following the publication of the Strategic Defence Review and the Defence Investment Plan, both of which place a renewed emphasis on the importance of military healthcare to operational readiness, resilience and warfighting capability
The Defence Investment Plan includes £50m of funding to modernise the operational patient care pathway, supporting new battlefield medical technologies, deployable healthcare capabilities and innovations that will improve survivability and patient outcomes on future operations. These investments include funding for Tactical Combat Casualty Care equipment, dried blood products, Tranexamic Acid autoinjectors and field hospital capabilities, helping ensure Defence Medical is equipped to meet the challenges of future conflict.
In response to the Strategic Defence Review’s call to strengthen our relationship with the NHS, Defence Medical has recently signed an important strategic partnership with NHS Blood and Transplant and is running a series of wargames in collaboration with the Department of Health and Social Care and other government departments to test the nation’s ability to receive military casualties from conflict.
Alongside medical innovation funded by the Defence Investment Plan, Defence Medical has also collaborated with UK Defence Innovation (UKDI) and The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) to provide funding to academic institutions interested in researching new ways to treat the wounds of conflict
Further details on the appointment of a permanent Chief Defence Medical will be announced in due course
Updates to this page
Published 16 July 2026
