The MOD collates, on a quarterly basis, “fit for task” figures, which provide a measure of all trained personnel that are considered medically fit for the task they were posted to their ship/unit/station to perform. It is the balance of the trained strength that is not medically downgraded. It is important to note, however, that the majority of medically downgraded personnel remain fit enough to work in some other capacity and therefore continue to make a contribution to operational effectiveness.
The following table shows the numbers, broken down by service, of trained personnel who were fully, not fully, and unfit for task, as at 30 December 2007:
Service Fully fit for task Not fully fit for task Unfit for task Total trained strength Royal Navy 31,346 3,529 100 34,975 Army 78,659 15,582 1,028 95,269 RAF 36,882 4,332 197 41,411 Total 146,887 23,443 1,325 171,655
The figures broken down by unit, or by the World Health Organisation’s “International Classification of Diseases”, could be provided only at disproportionate cost.