AFC0003

Written evidence submitted by Mr Grant Thomson.

I am writing this with immense frustration, anger, and pain. My experience as a soldier, once marked by pride in serving my country, has been overshadowed by the Ministry of Defence's abject failure to honor its duty of care. My injuries—both physical and mental—were not only mishandled but dismissed entirely, leaving me to fend for myself in civilian life, broken and abandoned.

This letter is not just a recounting of my experience; it is a plea for justice and a demand for answers to why promises made by the MOD have been systematically ignored, leaving veterans like me as collateral damage.

My Service: A History of Neglect and Betrayal

First Period of Service (2001–2006):

I joined the Army in 2001 with pride and commitment. During my deployment to Iraq, I was prescribed the anti-malarial drug Lariam (mefloquine). At the time, I was unaware of its potential to cause long-term neurological and psychiatric damage. Following my service, I was diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a diagnosis I later came to question as I learned more about the toxic effects of Lariam.

For years, I battled symptoms such as anxiety, depression, and cognitive dysfunction, which align with Lariam toxicity. Despite raising these concerns during my service and afterward, no investigations or diagnostic efforts were made. Instead, I was left to pick up the pieces on my own.

Second Period of Service (2015–2019):

I rejoined the Army in 2015, determined to contribute again despite the challenges I had faced. My optimism was short-lived. During a training exercise, I sustained a severe injury due to an illegal and avoidable group punishment. I reported shooting pain, throbbing neck pain, cold hands, and pins and needles in my arms.

Instead of receiving proper care, my injury was inaccurately documented as “arm pain,” a gross misrepresentation of the thoracic and cervical spine injury that was eventually diagnosed as a slipped disc between C5 and C6. This delayed diagnosis left me in chronic pain, unable to keep up with my peers, and subjected to bullying and isolation.

Mental Health Collapse and Medical Discharge:

The combination of physical pain, mistreatment, and systemic neglect led to a mental health breakdown. I was referred to the Defence Community Mental Health (DCMH) team, where I was hastily labeled as potentially bipolar—a shocking diagnosis that ignored my lived reality of extreme lows caused by PTSD and chronic pain.

I repeatedly raised concerns about Lariam toxicity and its role in my condition. These concerns were ignored. I was sent to a so-called rehabilitation unit in Scotland, where no meaningful rehabilitation occurred before I was pushed toward medical discharge. This was not care; it was a process designed to expel me from the system.

Post-Discharge Struggles: A System Designed to Deny Help

After my discharge, I sought compensation through the Army Compensation Scheme. The process was nothing short of a bureaucratic nightmare. My application was riddled with errors—my injuries and service history misrepresented—and my attempts to correct these were met with obstruction at every level.

I submitted two separate 510 forms, supported by witness statements, detailing my injury and the circumstances under which it occurred. These forms were ignored. No investigation was conducted. Instead, at a tribunal, I was ambushed by professionals who weaponized procedural knowledge to dismiss my claims. I was barred from even mentioning Lariam, ensuring my case was whitewashed.

It took years of persistence for the MOD to begrudgingly acknowledge that my gut issues and mental health problems were attributable to service. Even then, the compensation I received was the bare minimum—a token acknowledgment of my suffering, devoid of any real accountability or support.

Broken Promises: Words Without Action

The MOD has repeatedly claimed to take the concerns of Lariam-exposed veterans seriously. Promises were made in Parliament by Mark Lancaster and others to engage constructively with veterans, investigate their concerns, and provide support. These promises were lies.

In 2017, Lt. Gen. Richard Nugee and Kate Davies committed to studying the long-term effects of Lariam on veterans of operations Herrick and Telic. To date, there has been no such study. The MOD admitted that Lariam can cause toxic brain damage but conveniently hides behind “poor record-keeping” to avoid accountability.

When I raised concerns about Lariam during my service, I was told to focus on recovery. When I raised them during my discharge, they were noted and ignored. When I raised them post-discharge, I was told there was no proof. This is a system designed to deny, delay, and dismiss—forcing veterans into a position where they simply give up.

Demands for Accountability

1. Duty of Care and Rehabilitation Failures:

Why were my injuries from the training exercise never properly investigated or documented?

Why was I sent to a rehabilitation unit that provided no rehabilitation?

2. Lariam Exposure and Broken Promises:

Why has no effort been made to investigate the link between Lariam and my health issues, despite assurances from the MOD and Parliament?

Why has the promised study into Lariam-exposed veterans not been conducted?

3. Systemic Barriers to Support:

Why were my 510 forms ignored, and why has the MOD failed to investigate my claims?

Why was my tribunal allowed to suppress evidence about Lariam, effectively silencing me?

The Armed Forces Covenant: A Hollow Promise

The Armed Forces Covenant, which promises fair treatment and support for service members and veterans, has been nothing but an empty gesture in my case. If other government departments and wider society are to respect the Covenant, it must surely first be embraced and somehow enforced within the MOD. The MOD’s actions—or lack thereof—stand in direct contradiction to the Covenant’s principles, leaving veterans like me feeling betrayed by the very institution we dedicated our lives to serving.

A Final Plea for Justice

I gave my best years to the Army. In return, I have been left broken—physically, mentally, and emotionally. The pain I endure every day, the isolation caused by my injuries, and the betrayal by the institution I served have left scars that will never heal.

This is not just my story. It is the story of countless veterans who have been discarded by a system that values denial over accountability. The MOD has failed me at every turn: failing to diagnose and treat my injuries, failing to investigate my concerns about Lariam, and failing to honor its promises.

I demand answers. I demand action. And I demand that the MOD finally take responsibility for the harm it has caused.

7th January 2025