§ Mr. HancockTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel, in each of the armed services, who served in the Gulf War have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder; how many have been treated successfully; how many have left the services on grounds of ill health; and if he will make a statement. [113959]
§ Mr. SpellarThe Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not keep a central record of all medical diagnoses and subsequent treatment for currently serving personnel. Responsibility for the health of ex-Service personnel, if resident in the UK, lies with the NHS, which similarly does not keep a central record of all diagnoses and treatment. Neither does the NHS routinely communicate diagnostic or treatment information to the MOD. No arrangements are in place to monitor the health of ex-Service personnel living overseas. Therefore, the total number of British Service personnel who took part in the 1990–91 Gulf conflict who have been diagnosed as having post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), their Service and their subsequent treatment is not known.
However, the MOD holds information on those Gulf Veterans who were referred by their Service Medical Officer or GP for assessment at the MOD's Gulf Veterans Medical Assessment Programme (MAP). Since its establishment in October 1993, MAP had seen a total of 2,934 patients (up to 31 January 2000). Of these, 245 personnel (nine Royal Navy/Royal Marines, 213 Army, and 23 RAF) had a recorded diagnosis of PTSD confirmed by a consultant psychiatrist.
As at 31 January 2000, of the 53,462 Service personnel who deployed to the Gulf, 846 personnel (189 Royal Navy/Royal Marines, 554 Army and 103 RAF) had been 344W medically discharged. Of these, 37 (10 Royal Navy/Royal Marines, 24 Army and three RAF) had been medically discharged following a diagnosis of PTSD. Of the 37 cases, nine (two Royal Navy/Royal Marines and seven Army) are included in the figure of 245 who had been to MAP.