DEIDRE WILD explores the nature of stressors and stresses in preparing for wartime activity

During the Gulf War (GW) 1991, many NHS hospitals were placed on standby to receive casualties evacuated from Saudi Arabia. This included transferring patients to free up beds and wards designated for war casualty care, purchasing additional life saving equipment, placing suitably qualified staff often with surgical, trauma and burns experience on standby, increasing security and setting up in-house training to meet the potential and unfamiliar needs of GW casualties.