The following table lists those numbers of service personnel that have been discharged as a result of being below the medical standard required for service.
Naval service Army Royal Air Force 1997 386 1,062 232 1998 447 1,069 160 1999 445 1,148 178 2000 474 1,063 187 2001 397 1,034 185 2002 377 1,022 137 2003 308 998 251 2004 365 1,084 202 2005 389 1,047 207 2006 347 1,009 241 2007 332 977 227 2008 312 842 189
A detailed breakdown by category of condition has been placed in the Library of the House.
Information on those service personnel who have been awarded a permanently reduced medical employment standard but retained is not held in the format requested. Decisions on retaining, re-training or discharge are reached by the service manning authorities. However, even when a decision is made that is not to discharge— for example if the medical authorities consider that the condition will improve over time—the individual retains the right to be discharged if they feel their career will be limited. Furthermore, we continue to review those service personnel with a reduced medical employment standard and the employment limitations this may have. It would, therefore, be inappropriate to assume that all those with a permanently reduced medical employment standard would remain in that category for the remainder of their career.