{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,15]],"date-time":"2025-08-15T02:46:17Z","timestamp":1755225977221,"version":"3.43.0"},"reference-count":16,"publisher":"BMJ","issue":"6","content-domain":{"domain":["bmj.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["J R Army Med Corps"],"accepted":{"date-parts":[[2017,4,24]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2017,12]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>Under the laws of armed conflict military medics are deemed non-combatants, and as such are subject to certain protections and limitations. The non-combatant status is defined in the famous Geneva Conventions, which form the basis of the international law of armed conflict. The protections afforded to medical personnel in armed conflict are a result of the need to protect and treat the sick and injured during times of hostility. This paper describes the history and legal development of the non-combatant status, and summarises the importance and implications of the contents of the Geneva Conventions that are relevant to medical personnel as non-combatants. We conclude that, despite scope for criticism of its relevance in contemporary operations, the non-combatant status for medical personnel highlights our commitment to alleviating suffering in armed conflict, and provides a vital legal basis to protect those who serve to treat the sick and injured. The ultimate beneficiaries of this protected status for medical personnel are our patients themselves. This paper also aims to stimulate debate and discussion of the importance of the non-status amongst military medical personnel.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1136\/jramc-2016-000732","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2017,6,8]],"date-time":"2017-06-08T20:10:19Z","timestamp":1496952619000},"page":"366-370","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/crossmarkpolicy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["The non-combatant status: importance and implications for medical personnel"],"prefix":"10.1136","volume":"163","author":[{"given":"Daniel","family":"Wilkins","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"General Duties Medical Officer, Chester, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"C","family":"Dieppe","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Responsible Officer (Army), Camberley, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"239","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2017,6,8]]},"reference":[{"key":"2025081315235830000_163.6.366.1","unstructured":"History of the International Committee of the Red Cross. https:\/\/www.icrc.org\/eng\/who-we-are\/history\/overview-section-history-icrc.htm (accessed 15 Oct 2016)."},{"key":"2025081315235830000_163.6.366.2","unstructured":"Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded in Armies in the Field. 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Geneva, 12 August 1949. https:\/\/ihl-databases.icrc.org\/applic\/ihl\/ihl.nsf\/Treaty.xsp?documentId=4825657B0C7E6BF0C12563CD002D6B0B&action=openDocument (accessed 15 Oct 2016)."},{"key":"2025081315235830000_163.6.366.8","unstructured":"https:\/\/ihl-databases.icrc.org\/applic\/ihl\/ihl.nsf\/Treaty.xsp?documentId=2F5AA9B07AB61934C12563CD002D6B25&action=openDocument (accessed 15 Oct 2016)."},{"key":"2025081315235830000_163.6.366.9","unstructured":"Convention (III) relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War. Geneva, 12 August 1949. https:\/\/ihl-databases.icrc.org\/applic\/ihl\/ihl.nsf\/Treaty.xsp?documentId=77CB9983BE01D004C12563CD002D6B3E&action=openDocument (accessed 12 Apr 2016)."},{"key":"2025081315235830000_163.6.366.10","unstructured":"Convention (IV) Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War. Geneva, 12 August 1949. https:\/\/ihl-databases.icrc.org\/applic\/ihl\/ihl.nsf\/Treaty.xsp?documentId=AE2D398352C5B028C12563CD002D6B5C&action=openDocument (accessed 15 Oct 2016)."},{"key":"2025081315235830000_163.6.366.11","unstructured":"Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts (Protocol I), 8 June 1977. https:\/\/ihl-databases.icrc.org\/applic\/ihl\/ihl.nsf\/Treaty.xsp?documentId=D9E6B6264D7723 C3C12563CD002D6CE4&action=openDocument (accessed 15 Oct 2016)."},{"key":"2025081315235830000_163.6.366.12","unstructured":"Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and Relating to the Protection of Victims of Non International Armed Conflicts (Protocol III), 8 June 1977. https:\/\/ihl-databases.icrc.org\/applic\/ihl\/ihl.nsf\/Treaty.xsp?documentId=AA0C5BCBAB5C4A85C12563CD002D6D09&action=openDocument (accessed 15 Oct 2016)."},{"key":"2025081315235830000_163.6.366.13","unstructured":"Protocol additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the Adoption of an Additional Distinctive Emblem (Protocol III), 8 December 2005. https:\/\/ihl-databases.icrc.org\/applic\/ihl\/ihl.nsf\/Treaty.xsp?documentId=8BC1504B556D2F80C125710F002F4B28&action=openDocument (accessed 15 Oct 2016)."},{"key":"2025081315235830000_163.6.366.14","unstructured":"Ministry of Defence. 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Not available in the public domain."}],"container-title":["Journal of the Royal Army Medical Corps"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/syndication.highwire.org\/content\/doi\/10.1136\/jramc-2016-000732","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,13]],"date-time":"2025-08-13T22:24:03Z","timestamp":1755123843000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/militaryhealth.bmj.com\/lookup\/doi\/10.1136\/jramc-2016-000732"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2017,6,8]]},"references-count":16,"journal-issue":{"issue":"6","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2017,12,4]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2017,12]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1136\/jramc-2016-000732"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/jramc-2016-000732","relation":{},"ISSN":["0035-8665","2052-0468"],"issn-type":[{"type":"print","value":"0035-8665"},{"type":"electronic","value":"2052-0468"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2017,6,8]]}}}