The Ministry of Defence has acknowledged that a classified government facility, Porton Down, collected medical records of nuclear test veterans. Approximately 50,000 paper files are currently stored in a controlled warehouse awaiting examination, following a two-year investigation into missing medical records of veterans involved in Cold War bomb tests.
MP Rebecca Long-Bailey has emphasized the importance of determining the contents, purpose, and relevance of these records to address the long-standing issue of missing files. A group of MPs has urged Defence Secretary Wes Streeting to investigate the archive, as veterans from Britain’s 45 atomic experiments have raised concerns about the absence of their medical records.
Recent revelations by the Mirror in 2022 uncovered that thousands of veterans underwent previously undisclosed blood, urine, and thyroid testing as well as chest x-rays during their service at weapons trials. Despite efforts to locate these records, a review conducted in 2024 failed to find most of them, speculating that in many instances, the blood tests were never conducted or the records were destroyed.
A warehouse in Swadlincote, Derbyshire, was identified as holding 50,000 paper records related to historic radiation exposure, including medical records of at least one atomic serviceman. The archive, managed by a private contractor called Restore, originated from the Defence Science Technology Laboratory (DSTL) at Porton Down, a secretive research facility specializing in biological and chemical studies.
Although the Defence Radiation Protection Services possesses a digital copy of the records, access is restricted without specific permissions from the administrative arm of the Ministry of Defence. Despite merging with the Atomic Weapons Establishment, no immediate plans have been announced to search the archives.
Veteran John Morris expressed frustration over the bureaucratic hurdles preventing access to potentially vital medical records. The Ministry of Defence has recognized the contributions of personnel involved in the nuclear testing program and emphasized the transparency of the review process, which examined over 100,000 items and records across relevant organizations.
Restore has been approached for further comments on this matter.
