U.K. Health Secretary visits Lakenheath

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Stephen Linch
  • 48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England --  What started out in the 1700s with the American Revolutionary War has possibly become the strongest alliance the world has ever known.

Since then, the United Kingdom and United States have stood together through two world wars, and their partnership continues with the two working in tandem in modern times for the good of humanity.

Building on that relationship, the Right Honorable Andrew Lansley, the United Kingdom Secretary of State for Health, paid a visit to the 48th Fighter Wing, Jan. 14, to learn about the mission as well as the capabilities of medical group and their partnerships with different National Health Service agencies.

"Minister Lansley came to RAF Lakenheath to learn a little about the mission of our Airmen here in England and, in particular, to focus on our partnerships that we have here in the medical [group] with our National Health Service colleagues here in the U.K.," said Lt. Col. Michael Higgins, 48th Medical Surgical Squadron commander.

Over the course of the visit, Minister Lansley received a unit mission briefing from Col. John Quintas, 48th FW commander, and received an in-depth view of the working partnership between the 48th MDG and NHS agencies such as the East Anglia Ambulance Service, Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge and West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St. Edmunds.

"Building partnership capacities is vitally important to everything we do," said Colonel Higgins. "We cannot take care of our Airmen and their families without the help of our British colleagues."

Colonel Higgins elaborated saying that, due to the 48th MDG's patients of Airmen and their family members typically being young and healthy, the medical staff has a hardship in maintaining clinical currency without the help of outside agencies. "By partnering with our colleagues in the National Health Service such as Addenbrooke's Hospital and West Suffolk Hospital, we are able to provide an experience where our physicians can practice and see patients so they are better prepared to go to war," said Colonel Higgins, noting that the 48th MDG was also beneficial to the NHS. "Our chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and high yield explosives skills and ability to respond to mass casualty events are in demand from our NHS colleagues."

The 48th MDG holds a seat on the Strategic Health Authority and county resiliency working groups, which was mutually beneficial to NHS and the 48th MDG as they dealt with H1N1 last year, he explained.

According to Colonel Higgins, the partnership has also led the 48th MDG and the East Anglia Ambulance Service to work together to improve the pre-hospital response with training between Air Force and U.K. medics.

Upon hearing about the partnership between the 48th MDG and NHS during a medical brief at the 48th MDG, Minister Lansley noted the presentation, "gave me a very good insight."

After the briefing, Minister Lansely toured several different units in the hospital before coming to the Tier 1 Simulation Center of Excellence.

While at the simulation center, Minister Lansley received insight on some of the 60 scenarios the center offers and watched Liberty Medics work with a variety of "victims" and "patients" that ranged from needing resuscitation to giving birth.

Having received hands on experience at the trauma center, Minister Lansley said good-bye to the Liberty Medics and departed Lakenheath having been given valuable insight to the partnership between the 48th MDG and the NHS.

"The visit could not have gone better," said Colonel Higgins. "Visits like this re-emphasize how long standing and how important it really is."