Service Personnel related deaths

PFD Category
Reports: 32 Areas: 19 Earliest: Jan 2014 Latest: 31 Jan 2025

91% response rate (above 62% average). 0% of classified responses show concrete action taken.

PFD Reports
23 results
Aeran Taylor
All Responded
2025-0057 31 Jan 2025 West Sussex, Brighton and Hove
Ministry of Defence
Concerns summary Deficient mental health assessments at military discharge, lack of inquiry into drug use linked to potential PTSD, and insufficient long-term rehabilitation options for veterans with substance abuse were identified.
Action taken summary The Ministry of Defence disputed that inquiries into drug use correlation with PTSD and formal mental health assessments at discharge were lacking, stating such checks and Structured Mental Health Ass
Charlie Owen
All Responded
2024-0665 29 Nov 2024 Berkshire
Ministry of Defence
Concerns summary The army's vulnerability risk management process fails to ensure 'check-ins' for high-risk soldiers, and suicide prevention training for welfare officers is not mandatory. Inadequate information sharing and documentation between medical and command personnel further hinder support and risk reduction.
Action taken summary The Ministry of Defence is undertaking a comprehensive review of the Army’s VRM policy, with a re-issue planned by March 2025, which will include record-keeping and sharing risk management plans. They
Paul Chase
All Responded
2024-0546 14 Oct 2024 Liverpool and Wirral
Ministry of Defence
Concerns summary There is a critical lack of mental health, alcoholism, and addiction support for veterans, both serving and after release. Resources are extremely limited, leading to extensive waiting times for essential treatment and therapy.
Action taken summary The Ministry of Defence disputes the premise of a lack of support, stating that Defence has provided prompt mental health and addiction support for several years, including treatment for Mr Chase. The
James Day
All Responded
2024-0061 7 Feb 2024 Manchester South
Ministry of Defence
Concerns summary Inadequate and difficult-to-access mental health support for service personnel with PTSD, both during and after service, forces individuals to self-medicate, leading to poor outcomes.
Benjamin McQueen
All Responded
2023-0285 28 Jul 2023 London City
Ministry of Defence
Concerns summary Military diving training had critical safety shortcomings, including no spare breathing gas for standby divers, inappropriate acceleration of training, lack of readily available defibrillators, and inconsistent safety pressure guidelines.
Jonathan Bayliss
All Responded
2021-0413 7 Dec 2021 North West Wales
Ministry of Defence
Concerns summary Urgent investigations into an artificial stall warning for the Hawk Mk 1 aircraft, which can stall without warning, are stalled. The training simulator also inaccurately models the aircraft with a smoke pod.
Alexander Tostevin
All Responded
2021-0407 6 Dec 2021 Dorset
Ministry of Defence
Concerns summary Military mental health care lacks independence, potentially causing underreporting of symptoms due to disclosure fears. The absence of a composite risk assessment and DCMH's primacy in MDT meetings can lead to inadequate risk management.
Joel Robinson
All Responded
2021-0398 25 Nov 2021 Berkshire
Army Headquarters
Concerns summary Insufficient progress on suicide prevention strategies, lack of practical risk factor identification, and inadequate independent mental health screening for soldiers outside their chain of command were identified.
Victoria Harrild-Jones
All Responded
2021-0386 17 Nov 2021 Suffolk
Ministry of Defence
Concerns summary Military personnel and dependents treated overseas receive post-operative care, specifically regarding prophylactic anti-coagulation medication, that does not comply with UK NICE guidance.
Cpl Ryan Lovatt
All Responded
2021-0373 3 Aug 2021 Oxfordshire
Ministry of Defence
Concerns summary The alcohol policy for Op Cabrit is unrealistic and poorly understood, potentially promoting binge drinking, while the critical "shark watch" role for sober supervision lacks formalization and clear communication.
Kamil Iddrisu
All Responded
2019-0416 6 Dec 2019 Birmimgham and Solihull
Capita MOD
Concerns summary There is a critical need to screen all non-UK military selection candidates for sickle cell trait, both before and after selection, due to the significant risk of collapse or death during military exercise.
Youngson Nkhoma
All Responded
2019-0416-wp26930 6 Dec 2019 Birmimgham and Solihull
Capita MOD
Concerns summary Non-UK military selection candidates are not screened for sickle cell trait, posing a significant increased risk of death or collapse during military exercise.
Joshua Hoole
All Responded
2019-0458 1 Nov 2019 Birmingham and Solihull
MOD
Concerns summary A persistent failure to learn from previous heat-related deaths is evident, with commanders lacking awareness and training on critical heat illness guidance (JSP539), which itself is complex and lacks clear protocols for individual risk and new fitness tests.
Alexandre Parr
All Responded
2019-0001 2 Jan 2019 Wiltshire and Swindon
Civil Aviation Authority
Concerns summary The provided text is incomplete and does not detail any specific concerns regarding future deaths.
Abigail Hall
All Responded
2018-0286 12 Sep 2018 South Yorkshire (West)
Derwent Students
Concerns summary The continued absence of a defibrillator and first aid trained staff at the premises creates a critical risk for emergency medical response in critical situations.
Matthew Hatfield
All Responded
2018-0231 18 Jul 2018 Birmingham
BAE Systems Ltd MOD
Concerns summary Soldiers lacked clarity on gun safety drills, and the officer in charge lacked critical information on tank status. Risk assessments also failed to identify a design flaw allowing guns to fire without a vital safety assembly.
Darren Neilson
All Responded
2018-0231-wp26294 18 Jul 2018 Birmingham
BAE Systems Ltd MOD
Ben Jukes
All Responded
2017-0335 24 Jul 2017 Manchester (City)
Ministry of Defence
Concerns summary The army's drug-testing regime failed to detect a serviceman's regular drug use, partly because tests were not random or unannounced, allowing evasion.
John Lomas
All Responded
2015-0396 1 Oct 2015 Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire
Sports Camp Tirol
Concerns summary Inadequate risk assessment of river conditions, lack of essential safety protocols for white water rafting (e.g., training, safety kayak, appropriate raft capacity), and poor communication between organisers and the Army contributed to the death.
Cameron Laing
All Responded
2015-0268 10 Jul 2015 Exeter and  Greater Devon
Ministry of Defence
Concerns summary Soldiers lacked critical understanding of trailer braking systems and safe extraction methods, leading to a fatal accident. The Ministry of Defence irrationally refused to teach alternative maneuvers not in official publications.
Sapper Dylan Gibson
All Responded
2014-0436 9 Oct 2014 Wiltshire & Swindon
Ministry of Defence
Concerns summary The absence of master keys in the guard room for all camp buildings prevents prompt access in emergencies, potentially delaying critical interventions.
Dean Hutchinson
All Responded
2014-0556-wp26759 3 Jun 2014 Wiltshire and Swindon
Ministry of Defence
Lee Bonsall
All Responded
2014-0044 31 Jan 2014 Carmarthenshire & Pembrokeshire
Department of Health and Social Care
Concerns summary Citalopram was inappropriately given on repeat prescription, contravening guidelines. Moreover, long ten-month waiting times for psychotherapy make it an unviable treatment alternative.
Action taken summary The Department of Health disputes that national guidelines restrict the repeat prescribing of citalopram, stating they are not rules and prescribing remains a clinical responsibility. They will, howev