The civil and military medical response to natural disasters.

This article explores the topic of military involvement in disaster response. This was debated during a conference held at the Royal Society of Medicine, through presentations on experiences and procedures within both the military and civilian roles. The conference was run jointly by the Haywood Club Tri-Service Medical Society and the Catastrophes & Conflict Forum of the Royal Society of Medicine on 20th April 2007. Issues of collaboration and accountability are seen as key themes of disaster response, within which the military can have a role, but which needs to be carefully administered in order to avoid an inappropriate response with an associated political fallout.