Nicholas Watt

An official review found that Cold War secrecy contributed to inconsistent handling of nuclear test veterans’ medical records, with no centralised archive ever established across the armed services. The Ministry of Defence released five reports detailing gaps and occasional destruction of records, suggesting up to 25,000 personnel participated in tests—higher than earlier estimates. Findings confirm that while some blood and urine test data exist, most records are missing, hindering veterans seeking compensation for alleged radiation-related illnesses. Campaigners remain sceptical, with critics calling the review a whitewash, while the government maintains that scientific evidence shows no elevated mortality or cancer rates among participants.

An official Ministry of Defence review found that Cold War secrecy and the historically fragmented structure of the UK armed services led to inconsistent handling of nuclear test veterans’ medical records. Some records may have been inadvertently destroyed in 2023 due to metadata errors, and the number of participants in the nuclear testing programme may have been higher than previously estimated. The reports confirm that while some blood and urine test data exist, most records are missing, undermining veterans’ efforts to support compensation claims. Veterans and some political figures, including Andy Burnham, criticised the findings as insufficient, while the MOD maintains that existing research shows no elevated cancer or mortality risks compared with other service personnel.