It includes within its remit of responsibility Queen Alexandra's Royal Naval Nursing Service.

At the same time, Sir William Burnett (who had served as one of the medical commissioners on the Victualling Board since 1822)[3] was appointed Physician-General of the Navy;[4] as such he had charge of the navy medical department and reported directly to the Board of Admiralty.

The Medical Department of the Navy was initially, like its predecessor the Sick and Hurt Board, based in Somerset House.

[8] In the early 1960s, with the establishment of the Ministry of Defence in place of the Admiralty, the Medical Director General and his staff moved into the Empress State Building.

In December 1984 he moved, with a reduced staff, into a new combined Defence Medical Services central headquarters building in First Avenue House, High Holborn,[9] which had been established with a view to bringing together the three medical services under a single administrative head (the Surgeon General); (albeit, in spite of expectations to the contrary,[10] the RN Medical Service and its Army/RAF counterparts maintained their autonomy).

Medical Assistants are deployed on all major warships and submarines of the Royal Navy, and provide primary care to the crew.

[47] Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall was appointed Commodore-in-Chief, Naval Medical Services at that time and has continued in the role as Queen.