13,000 in UK armed forces 'not medically deployable'

More than 13,000 people in the UK's armed forces are "not medically deployable", defence ministry figures show.

Statistics shared by Al Carns, the veterans minister, who is also a reservist, show 99,560 people within the armed forces are medically fully deployable, while 14,350 have limited deployability.

However, a total of 13,522 are medically not deployable.

The Royal Navy has 2,922 members medically not deployable, the army has 6,879 and the Royal Air Force 3,721.

The MoD defines a fully deployable person to be someone who is medically fit for duty with no employment limitations.

Meanwhile, those who are medically not deployable have major employment limitations and are not fit to deploy on operations but may be deployable on UK-based exercises.

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Service personnel with medical conditions or fitness issues that affect their ability to perform their duties will generally be referred to a medical board for a medical examination and review of their medical grading.

They may be downgraded, to allow for treatment, recovery and rehabilitation and deployability status can be awarded on a temporary or permanent basis.

Earlier this month, Mr Carns, a former full-time Royal Marine colonel, said Britain needed to rebuild "depth" and "mass" when it came to the layers of fighting forces it has available as he warned the British Army would be worn down in "six months to a year" in a major war.

"In a war of scale - not a limited intervention, but one similar to Ukraine - our army for example on the current casualty rates would be expended - as part of a broader multinational coalition - in six months to a year," Mr Carns said.

"That doesn't mean we need a bigger army, but it does mean you need to generate depth and mass rapidly in the event of a crisis."

His comments came after the UK's chief of the defence staff, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, said there were "deficiencies" in people, equipment, stockpiles, training and technology.

"We need the humility to recognise that we are not as strong as we could be and then the determination and focus to put this right," he said.

An MoD spokesperson said: "The vast majority of our service personnel - around 90% - are deployable at any point, with most of the remaining members of our armed forces employed in wider military roles.

"We are committed to providing world-class medical treatment to ensure personnel can return to duty where possible, or to support their transition to civilian life."