The British Armed Forces will no longer ban people with asthma or severe acne from joining, according to Defence Secretary John Healey. Healey aims to tackle a recruitment crisis by ending the outdated and unnecessary entry requirements. Labour has stated that the British Army is currently the smallest it has been in 200 years. In addition to lifting the medical restrictions, Healey also intends to persuade computer gamers to join a new cyber defence initiative.
In his speech to Labour’s annual conference, Healey told the Sun that the country needs top gamers in the effort. The increasing need for drone pilots due to the changing nature of warfare is an area where gamers’ skills could be useful. Healey believes that many of the same skills required as drone pilots are the same as those found in some of the best console warriors’ lives who were once gamers.
The UK Armed Forces require anyone wanting to join to pass a tough medical. The current medical rules claim that people with heart problems, back problems, hearing difficulties or vision problems, among other issues, will struggle to meet the requirements. The rules on all medical conditions, including acne and asthma, are regularly updated, and the appeals process considers applicants on a case-by-case basis.
Over the last five years, the primary reason for rejection in the British Armed Forces has been due to medical reasons. From this, 76,187 applicants were disqualified. Healey aims to accelerate the process and remove the unnecessary and outdated restrictions that are currently impacting talented individuals from joining the forces.
In an effort to boost recruitment, the previous UK government relaxed restrictions on beards and facial hair. During his Labour conference speech, Healey stated that he intends to unblock bottlenecks, red tape, and delays that have resulted in lost opportunities for the forces. While continuing to uphold high standards, he aims to remove needless restrictions and modernize entry requirements
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