Quarterly Afghanistan and Iraq amputation statistics

Defence statistics currently produce a quarterly official statistic on surviving UK service personnel who as a result of an injury sustained whilst deployed in Iraq or Afghanistan have suffered a traumatic or surgical amputation.

Following the end of Op Telic in May 2011, defence statistics have continued to report on UK service personnel who have had an amputation on a quarterly basis, due to the potential for personnel to have a surgical or elective amputation at a later point in their care pathway as a result of injuries sustained whilst deployed on Op Telic.

Very low numbers of Op Telic amputees are now being reported each quarter (none in the last quarter, less than five in 2012/13). Defence statistics are therefore consulting with internal and external stakeholders on the proposal to cease quarterly reporting and just update the figures of Op Telic amputees on an annual basis.

There will be no change to the quarterly release of Afghanistan amputation statistics. Information on number of surviving UK service personnel who had an amputation as a result of an injury on Op Telic from June 2013 onwards will be available through Freedom of Information requests or parliamentary questions on an ad hoc basis.