Air Vice-Marshal (Professor) Rich Withnall joined the RAF as a Medical Cadet in 1990. After GP training, he undertook Senior Medical Officer appointments on fast jet, multi-engine and rotary flying stations. He completed Command & Staff appointments at HQ Personnel and Training Command, HQ AIR Command, HQ Surgeon General and the Ministry of Defence (MOD).
He won the Brooke-Popham (Best Defence Research Paper) and Sir Michael Howard (Best MA student) prizes on the Advanced Command & Staff Course in 2007/8.
After an MOD policy role, Rich returned to HQ AIR Command as Deputy Director Health Services (RAF) in 2010. With a Doctorate in Psychological Medicine from King’s College London, he became the first RAF Defence Professor of General Practice & Primary Care in 2013. Promoted to Air Commodore in 2017, he became the first primary care clinician to be appointed as Medical Director of the UK Defence Medical Services.
In 2021, upon promotion to Air Vice-Marshal, he became Director of Defence Healthcare with responsibility for nearly 6000 staff and over 400 primary care, rehabilitation and mental health facilities in the UK and overseas, including DMRC Stanford Hall. He was appointed Honorary Surgeon to Her Majesty The Queen in 2018.