When being treated on the field, military personnel will each have an individual memory stick loaded with their health records as a backup until they reach a military medical or NHS facility.
The medical staff on the field can also input information about any treatment a patient may receive by putting the memory stick into a PDA or wrist-worn PDA system (pictured), which they can wear while treating a patient and inputting medical information.
The memory stick is still under development but the MoD envisages it will be incorporated into a soldier's dog tag to make sure it doesn't get lost.
Robert Baxter, deputy chief of defence staff at the MoD, said: "The DMICP gives us the chance to have information that is timely, accurate and relevant."
Talkback
A great big expensive white elephant - while very nice to have it will not be of any practical use on the battlefield and not necessary at a Regimental Aid Post. While full medical records may be of (dubious) value at rear/base medical facilities, these could be provided much simpler by either physical disk or electronic transfer to an "in theatre" database for individuals posted in.
That £80m (and it's associated running costs) could have been far better employed in resuscitating a disbanded infantry battalion or providing a big boost in equipment quality and quantity.