Is It Me or Did SE Change Something - NPC Healing

Last time I played was when Heavensward was current, I completed that MSQ then stopped playing and only re-started playing in October .. so I've had a 2+ year break and maybe don't know or have forgotten something.

I just ran The Aery on a WHM and when it came to the Nidhogg fight I couldn't do something I'm sure I used to do: heal the Dragoon.

During the phase where Nidhogg is immune and you're fighting the waves of his minions I'm sure I used to be able to Cure the Dragoon, and re-watching MTQ's video from that time she explicitly says you can "heal and shield" the NPC.

Now I know Protect has gone .. and sadly Stoneskin, God knows why SE removed a very valuable skill I used when healing :( .. so the 'shield' part is no longer relevant, but when I cast Cure on the NPC it landed on me, not him.

I could find no way to heal him .. have I forgotten something I used to do or did SE removing the ability to heal NPCs in dungeons?

I'm sure you can still heal him, and cast Regen. I don't think he's designed to survive otherwise, though gear improvements mean we can defeat the dragons faster and he takes less damage.

Scholars and nocturnal AST would still be able to cast shields - I assume they would stick.

Is your spell a macro? Were you properly locked on?

And one thing ive seen people forget. He isnt in your party, so groupwides dont hit him. I remember once failing this fight(ages ago) because the healers medica 2s werent helping the dragoon.