Chair stunned to hear ill-fitting uniform causing health issues
13 August 2025
Gwent Police Federation chair Matthew Candy says he is 'shocked and concerned' to hear that uniform and equipment is causing health issues for members.
Two-thirds of Gwent Police officers and staff who responded to a national survey reported at least one health issue caused or made worse by uniform.
The figure for Gwent Police was the fourth highest in England and Wales, behind South Yorkshire, Norfolk, and Merseyside.
Researchers said musculoskeletal damage, crushed testicles, and crushed breasts were among the health issues reported by respondents.
Matthew said: “This is the first national survey on police uniform, and I’m shocked to hear how many police officers and staff report it is causing them health issues.
Equipment
"Uniform is a huge part of being a police officer.
“Our members have to wear their uniform and carry their equipment for hours on end during a shift, and to hear the scale that it is impacting their health and their ability to do their job is a real cause for concern.”
Matthew called for the results of the National Uniform and Equipment Survey to be acted upon, as he backed calls for a minimum national standard.
The survey heard from 20,8383 respondents, of which 86 per cent were police officers and 14 per cent police staff, with 34 per cent female and 66 per cent male.
The majority of respondents (56 per cent) in England and Wales reported their overall experience of wearing the police uniform as negative. In Gwent Police, the figure was 63 per cent, with 15 per cent reporting a positive experience.
Matthew said: "It's clear there is a postcode lottery when it comes to police uniform, kit, and equipment, and we need the highest possible minimum standards to ensure it is fit for purpose.
"We will share the results with the Force and are ready to work with it to see what can be done in the immediate future."
The National Uniform and Equipment Survey was led by Dr Camilla De Camargo and Dr Stephanie Wallace, from Lancaster University Law School.
They worked in collaboration with the Police Federation of England & Wales’s (PFEW) senior researcher, Sahrish Khan, and the National Police Chiefs’ Council.
Dr De Camargo said: “We are shocked by the results but, unfortunately, not surprised - it is important to be able to highlight these issues on such a large scale.
Evidence
“We hope this evidence can lead to impactful changes that improve the lives of uniform wearers every day.”
Almost seven out of 10 (69 per cent) of respondents reported negative experiences with cargo trousers. This was the most challenging item of clothing, PFEW said.
The report found that 61 per cent of officers in England and Wales say their body armour ‘worsened their uniform experience’. This was the second most problematic item of uniform.
PFEW’s headline recommendations to improve uniform and equipment included the call for the highest minimum national standards.
Their recommendations also included establishing a single point of accountability in the form of a Strategic Uniform Board, and to have continuous review and feedback.
PFEW National Board members Belinda Goodwin and Zac Mader, who have worked closely with the researchers, said: “The national survey findings are disquieting to say the least.
Survey
“Our officers put their lives on the line day in and day out to provide the highest standards of service which the public rightly expects from them.
“Yet, seven in 10 officers find their uniform restricts their movement, thereby reducing their effectiveness, while more than five in 10 officers find their current body armour uncomfortable.
“These factors significantly heighten risk to officer safety and impact their ability to keep their communities safe.
“How can it be right that on one hand our employers (Chief Constables) and the Government are adopting modern technology and costly artificial intelligence-assisted equipment such as drones, and on the other hand, they refuse to invest in basic day-to-day equipment such as new-age uniform and body armour for our officers and staff?
“We ardently appeal to our employers and the Government to wake up and take cognisance of the independent evidence obtained by this pioneering study to immediately devote resources to provide our officers with uniform that is fit for purpose and fit for all.”
