Nuclear veterans' medical record handling haphazard, report finds
Summary
A government report found that medical records of UK nuclear test veterans were poorly managed due to Cold War secrecy and separate record systems for different military branches. Some medical records may have been accidentally destroyed, and the total number of people involved in nuclear testing is higher than previously thought.Key Facts
- Nuclear test veterans include about 25,000 UK servicemen, scientists, and civilians who took part in tests between 1952 and 1967.
- There has never been one central place for medical records covering all military personnel involved in the tests.
- Cold War secrecy affected how medical records were kept and what information was recorded.
- Some medical records may have been destroyed in 2023 due to errors in the data, like incorrect birthdates causing automatic deletion.
- The Ministry of Defence released five reports reviewing the handling of these medical records.
- Military officials knew at the time that veterans might seek compensation for health problems caused by nuclear tests.
- Veterans want full access to their medical records to support claims for health damage and compensation.
- Different government departments managed Army, Navy, and Air Force records separately until 1964.
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