Medal recognises military doctor’s long career

Commodore Steve Dainton, the Commander British Forces Gibraltar, recently presented the Principal Medical Officer at the Princess Royal Medical Centre in Gibraltar with his Long Service and Good Conduct Medal.

Surgeon Commander Alistair Morris joined the Royal Navy on August 3, 2004 and Passed Out of Britannia Royal Navy College (BRNC) later that year.

He then completed six months Emergency Medicine training at St Mary’s Hospital London.

Surg Cdr Morris successfully completed the All Arms Commando Course in the winter of 2005, gaining his green beret and was assigned to 45 Commando Royal Marines in Arbroath for 3 years.

During this time, he was deployed on Operation Herrick V to Afghanistan, working alongside the Afghan National Army as part of the Operational Mentor and Liaison Team, and front line in the Forward Operating Base in Nowzad, Helmand Province.

Surg Cdr Morris supported Royal Marines in Norway on Exercise Cetus in 2006 and 2008, completing the full Winter Warfare Course with the Unit.

He began Surgical Training at Derriford Hospital in 2009 and gained his Member of Royal College of Surgeons qualification before turning his attention to GP training.

General Practice Vocational Training was completed between 2010 and 2013 with assignments to Headley Court, Queen Alexandria Hospital Portsmouth, Derriford Hospital Plymouth and GP registrar training in Tavistock, Devon.

Surg Cdr Morris’ first posting as a General Practitioner was to Gibraltar as Deputy Principal Medical Officer in 2012.

With his wife, Katy, Alistair was granted a career break in 2013 which took them to Tofino, British Columbia in 2013 where they both worked as locum GPs.

He also worked at the British Army Training Unit Suffield in Alberta Canada, covering Pre-Hospital Care and Primary Care for exercising British Army forces.

Following this career break, it was off to Royal Marines Poole in 2014 for 2 years.

This gained him experience in Maritime Counter Terrorism and Pre-Hospital Care.

In 2015 Surg Cdr Morris started as Principal Medical Officer BRNC Dartmouth remaining there for two years, supporting staff and cadets of Phase 1 training for Officers in the Royal Navy.

On promotion to Commander, he returned to the Rock in November 2017, this time as PMO, leading a small but demanding Primary Care Team supporting the British forces in Gibraltar.

Surg Cdr Morris and his team more recently provided support to the Government of Gibraltar’s response to the COVID-19 Public Health emergency and the coordination of setting up a Nightingale Hospital facility.

Surg Cdr Morris has now left Gibraltar and will be starting a Diploma in Aviation Medicine in September 2020 at RAF Henlow.

“British Forces Gibraltar wishes him all the very best in his future endeavours,” a spokesman for British Forces Gibraltar said.