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'Somebody mentioned drawing all MOD medical support from NHS. That is an idea that is worth developing. If NHS was structured so that volunteering for TA/RNR/RAFAux did not compromise NHS career, but also was potentially interesting career-wise, then why could it not provide all MOD medical/dental requirements, including in hostile environments?
Moreover, if all public sector pensions were streamlined and unified, it could be relatively easy for NHS/Reserve staff to switch between roles in either service, including senior roles.
There are other branches of the civil service that could be similarly integrated with MOD. For example, why not form a TA Royal Engineer Regiment of DFID volunteers? They could form a reserve of engineer-soldiers able to provide frontline reconstruction in the oft quoted battle for "hearts and minds".,
Already done. I don't have the stats at hand but a significant percentage of our Medics (doctors, nurses etc) in Afghanistan are volunteers from the....NHS (where else?). Interestingly, there is no shortage of volunteers but if the recruitment and training system isn't quick enough we sometimes lose these guys and girls to MSF or similar organisations. The Reserve Forces Act 1996 limits how often we can mobilise reservists (1 year in three max).
MSSG (a 'hearts and minds' organisation) is largely composed of reservists, as are the various IO/Psyops units. Of course there are extensive resources across the reserve forces, but it is vary rare that units are ever mobilised en masse; rather they are used to augment regular units. RAF VR/RAuxAF utilisation is very, very high - soemthing like 150% of VR personnel have been mobilised for operations since 2003. The TA levels are much, much lower and based on asking for volunteers (the RAF doesn't do that - they are all (generally) compulsary mobilisations).
The motivation for joining reserve froces has to be considered. There are many, many very well qualified personnel who are part-timers in one form or another, but employed in completely different area s eg there are chartered civil engineers service as Gunners in RAuxAF Regt Sqns. They don't necessarily want to be military engineers! The Strategic Review of Reserve Forces that came out earlier last year is addressing many of these issues. For example, the TA still has units that would only ever be mobilised if we were invaded; in contrast the RAF Reserves are lean and fit for purpose.
Whilst I am on here - why do so many posters object to PTIs, for example? Evaporating all PTIs would allow one fast jet to operate for a year - or some such. Fitness is part and parcel of military life (or should be) to say nothing else of self pride and esteem. The PTIs are charged, inter alia, to ensure we are fit. Standy by for lard-arse self justification...