HC Deb 09 January 2002 vol 377 c838W
Mr. Swayne

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 5 December 2001,Official Report, column 349W, on Kosovo, what plans he has to investigate the failure on 6 November to meet the target time in which priority one casualties require to be repatriated. [25206]

Mr. Ingram

A priority one patient is defined as somebody for whom speedy evacuation is necessary to save life or limb, to prevent serious illness or to avoid serious permanent disability. The Royal Air Force aim to return such patients to the UK within 24 hours of a request for medical evacuation. The actual time taken to return a patient to the UK will reflect a number of factors, including the stability of their condition—to move a patient too soon can be as dangerous as to move them too late—the distance to be travelled and the weather.

Of equal importance is the treatment the patient receives pending their return. In the case to which you refer, all the procedures followed have been, as always in such cases, subject to close scrutiny to ensure all was done that could be done to provide the best levels of medical care as quickly as possible. The patients were properly cared for within the intensive treatment unit of the integrated US/UK medical unit at Camp Bondsteel in Kosovo, and there were no delays in the return leg of the aeromedical evacuation flight.