Chapter 3 - Health
                                         
Table 3.1 Deaths in the UK Regular Armed Forces: by year of occurrence and Service, numbers, age
                     and gender standardised rates1 and standardised mortality ratios2, 2000-2009
In 2003 and 2004 there were increases in the number of deaths in the Naval Service due to 3 helicopter incidents involving multiple deaths during operations in the Middle East. Operational fatalities amongst Royal Marines account for the increase in the Naval Service mortality rate in 2008, however, this fell to a low of 55 per 100,000 in 2009 due to a fall in deaths as a result of hostile action.

The increase in the number of deaths among Army personnel in 2006, 2007 and 2009 can be accounted for by an increase in the number of deaths due to Hostile Action (38 deaths in 2006 and 63 deaths in 2007 and 99 in 2009). There was also an increase in the number of deaths due to accidents in 2007. In 2008 Army deaths decreased largely due to a reduction in both operational fatalities and land transport accidents.

In 2005 and 2006 there was an increase in the number of deaths in the RAF due to the loss of 9 RAF personnel in a Hercules crash in Iraq in January 2005 and the loss of 12 RAF personnel in a Nimrod crash in Afghanistan in September 2006.
Numbers of deaths
  2000   2001   2002   2003   2004   2005   2006   2007   2008   2009  
Total
 147   142   147   177   170   160   191   204   137   205  
25   33   26   37   37   27   33   27   40   23  
Army
 88   80   94   101   96   93   111   145   79   158  
RAF
 34   29   27   39   37   40   47   32   18   24  


During the 10-year period 2000-2009, the overall Armed Forces age and gender standardised mortality rates fluctuated between a low of 70 per 100,000 in 2001 and a high of 106 per 100,000 in 2007 and 2009. Rates have been updated and are age and gender standardised to the 2009 Armed Forces population and are expressed per 100,000 strength. Previously published rates were standardised to the 2006 Armed Forces population.

Age and gender standardised rates per 100,000 strength1,2
  2000   2001   2002   2003   2004   2005   2006   2007   2008   2009  
Total
 72   70   74   83   81   81   98   106   72   106  
63   80   72   89   92   70   86   71   109   55  
Army
 80   72   85   83   76   86   95   129   72   134  
RAF
 64   51   53   72   63   72   86   70   34   51  


For the UK Regular Armed Forces as a whole, the annual SMR was statistically significantly lower than the UK population, except in 2006, 2007 and 2009 when it was not significantly different from the UK population.

For the years 2003, 2004, 2006 and 2008 the Naval Service SMR were not significantly different to the UK general population. For all other years the Naval Service were statistically significantly lower than the UK population. Operational incidents in 2003, 2004, 2006 and 2008 account for the higher SMR for the Naval Service in these years.

For the period 2000 to 2002 and 2008, the Army SMR was statistically significantly lower than the UK general population. Between 2003 and 2005 the Army was not significantly different from the UK population. In 2006, 2007 and 2009, the Army was at a significantly increased risk of dying compared to the UK population. In 2009, the 42% statistically significant increased risk of dying in the Army compared to the UK population can be explained by the number of hostile action deaths.

For the periods 2000 to 2005 and 2007 to 2009, the RAF annual SMR was statistically significantly lower than the UK general population. In 2006 the RAF was not statistically different from the UK population. This is due to the loss of 12 RAF personnel in a Nimrod crash. In 2009 there was a 58% statistically significant decreased risk of dying in the RAF compared to the UK general population.

Standardised mortality ratios3
  2000   2001   2002   2003   2004   2005   2006   2007   2008 4 2009  
Total
 60   59   62   76   76   75   113   98   66   97  
49   67   54   79   82   62   94   62   91 r 52  
Army
 74   67   80   87   86   88   133   135   73 r 142  
RAF
 46   40   38   56   55   62   93   56   32   42  
Source: DASA (Health Information)
1. Rates have been age and gender standardised to the 2009 Armed Forces population and are expressed per 100,000 strength.
2. Changes to data previously published in UKDS. Rates have been updated and are age and gender standardised to the 2009 Armed Forces population where
    previously published rates were standardised to the 2006 Armed Forces population.
3. Standardised mortality ratios have been standardised for age, gender and calendar year.
4. Changes to data previously published. In the previous edition of UKDS the UK general population data for 2008 were not available to calculate standard
    mortality ratios (SMRs) and so the 2007 data was used as an estimate for the 2008 figure (as there is little year on year variation for the UK figures). The
    general population data for 2008 is now available and has been used for the 2008 SMR.

Deaths in the UK Regular Armed Forces: by year of occurrence
and Service, age and gender standardised rates, 2000-2009


1. Rates have been age and gender standardised to the 2009 Armed Forces population and are expressed per 100,000 strength.