Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 1 July 2019 to Question 269662 on Armed Forces: Heart Diseases, what criteria clinicians follow when seeking to detect significant structural and electrophysiological abnormalities in recruits.

In line with European Society of Cardiology guidelines, a transthoracic cardiac echo is used to detect significant structural (such as the various cardiomyopathies) and electrophysiological abnormalities (such as abnormal QT syndromes and Brugada syndrome) in Army recruits.

This follows a review of the recruit's full clinical history, a full clinical examination and electrocardiogram (ECG).

RAF and Royal Navy recruits undergo a similar screening process but without an ECG. This is in line with American College of Cardiology guidelines.