Related Experiment Videos
An investigation into regular recruit wastage from the British Army, 1988
1RAMC Training Group, Keogh Barracks, Ash Vale, Hants.
Insights
British Army recruits had a 16.7% medical discharge rate in 1988. Most discharges were due to pre-enlistment conditions, often concealed in administrative data, not medical records.
Area of Science:
- Military Medicine
- Public Health
- Medical Discharge Analysis
Background:
- Recruit medical discharges represent a significant aspect of military personnel management.
- Understanding discharge reasons is crucial for optimizing recruitment and retention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the incidence and causes of medical discharges among British Army recruits in 1988.
- To identify discrepancies in data collection regarding medical discharges, particularly those related to pre-enlistment conditions.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of AFBs 6863 (Notification of Discharge of a Regular Recruit) forms from 1988.
- Categorization of medical discharges into three types based on boarding status and discharge regulations (QR 9.381, QR 9.385).
- Comparison of discharge data between administrative records and the TRIMEDS database.
Main Results:
- The recruit medical wastage rate was 16.7% (897 cases) in 1988.
- Type 1 (concealed) discharges, often due to pre-enlistment defects, constituted 9.2% of all discharges.
- Conditions of the lower limbs and back were the leading causes (54.5%) of medical discharges.
- The TRIMEDS database only captured 31.7% of medical discharges (Type 2), concealing the majority related to pre-enlistment issues.
Conclusions:
- A significant proportion of recruit medical discharges were due to conditions present before enlistment, which were often administratively concealed.
- Current data systems may underestimate the true prevalence of medical issues arising from recruitment standards.
- Recommendations for improved data capture and review of recruiting medical protocols are implied.
Abstract:
A study was made of recruit medical discharges in the British Army in 1988 with the aim of ascertaining the number of medical discharges amongst recruits. AFBs 6863 (Notification of Discharge of a Regular Recruit) were used as the source of data. Recruit medical wastage rate for 1988 was 897 cases, or 16.7% of all known discharges. Three types of medical discharges were present. Four hundred and ninety-six Type 1 or concealed discharges, (9.2% of discharges for all reasons) were made up of cases who had not been boarded and had mainly been discharged under QR 9.381 (defect of enlistment). Two hundred and seventy-five Type 2 discharges (5.1% of discharges for all reasons) represented boarded cases discharged under QR 9.385 (ceasing to fulfil medical requirements). One hundred and twenty-six Type 3 discharges (2.3% of all discharges) were boarded cases mainly discharged under QR 9.381 (defect of enlistment). As all discharges under paragraphs other than QR 9.385 are given administrative discharge outflow code, only the 275 Type 2 discharges (or 31.7% of medical discharges) appeared on the Army's own source of medical data, the TRIMEDS database. This had the effect of concealing the majority of those discharges caused by conditions predating enlistment therefore decreasing the number of known false negatives not detected at recruiting medicals. The biggest causes of discharge were conditions of the lower limbs and back (54.5% of medical discharges), a conglomerate of minor categories of pathology (14.6%), asthma (9.6%) and deformities (7.4%). Within each type the bulk of the discharges was concealed in Type 1 discharges especially for conditions predating enlistment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)