Air Marshal Clare Walton CB KHP
Biography
Air Marshal Walton joined the Royal Air Force on a University Cadetship in 1987 while studying medicine at St Bartholomew’s Hospital Medical School, London.
In 2008, she was posted to Headquarters Air Command as SO1 Primary Health Care, responsible for the delivery of primary health care across the RAF.
In 2009 she moved to the Ministry of Defence as Assistant Head Health Protection where she was responsible for strategic policy for medical CBRN, Medical Intelligence and wider Medical Force Protection.
In June 2016, she became Air Officer Medical Operations and Commandant of the RAF Centre of Aviation Medicine. She was also appointed Queen’s (now King’s) Honorary Physician in 2016. In 2018, she assumed the role of Commander Joint Hospital Group. On 24 February 2020, she was promoted to Air Vice Marshal taking up the post of Director Medical Personnel and Training. She was appointed Companion of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath in the 2022 New Year Honours List; and in 2023 she was promoted to Air Marshal and became Director General Defence Medical Services on 3 July 2023.
Air Marshal Walton is married to Air Commodore (Retd) Mark Hopkins and has two stepchildren.
Director General Defence Medical Services
The Director General Defence Medical Services responsibilities include:
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being the functional lead for medical and healthcare within the Ministry of Defence (MOD)
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leading the transformation of the Defence Medical Services
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ensuring all UK Armed Forces personnel receive safe, efficient and effective healthcare