one area of UK forces were recruiting has slumped is for healthcare professionals in the UK reserve forces. This isn't being helped by the crisis in the NHS and the realisation that RFA 96 provides no protection at all. Trusts are using restructuring as a get out to dismiss reservists who have been called up for Iraq. I think the govts time would be better spent rewriting the reserve forces act to force government employers like the NHS to properly protect reservists civilian employment. Maybe making it a Criminal offence with an automatic 5 year sentence for heads of human resources and chief Execs of Govt orginisations and heavy fine (50% of expected profits) and loss of all government contracts to industry for dismissing a reservist whilst warned for operations, on operations or within 3 years of returning from operations except for cases of missconduct. And removal of all caveats in RFA 96 regarding dismissal whilst mobilised except for going out of buissness.
I have met more than one reservist that this has happened to and mostly they have been employed by NHS. But MoD has done the same as well.