University Hospitals Trust Plymouth have been re-awarded a contract to provide medical support to the British Antarctic Survey for the next four years. The British Antarctic Survey Medical Unit (BASMU), based in Plymouth, have been supporting the healthcare needs of BAS for the last 29 years.
The contract includes providing doctors for the RRS Sir David Attenborough, BAS’s research stations, and giving telemedicine support during medical emergencies. Doctors heading to Antarctica do six months of comprehensive training, covering dentistry, physiotherapy, dive medicine and radiography.
BASMU are also responsible for delivering comprehensive First Aid training to the people heading to Antarctica. This week, the team of 250 polar recruits heading to Antarctica this season are being trained in advanced first aid. This is a critical part of pre-deployment training, preparing the teams to deal with a wide range of general, and polar specific, medical issues.
A small number of people will head to Dartmoor later this month for eight days of field-based advanced clinical training, which is endorsed by the Royal College of Surgeons. This training sets high standards for these First Aid responders, pushing their skills under stressful conditions.
Oliver Darke, Director of Polar Operations, Engineering and Infrastructure said:
“We’re delighted to continue our longstanding relationship with University Hospitals Trust Plymouth. Together we deliver healthcare in the most challenging environments on our planet, working tirelessly 24/7/365 to ensure our people in Antarctica have access to the best possible medical care.”
To find out more about BASMU, listen to this episode of Iceworld with Dr Matt Warner, Director of BASMU: Can I work in Antarctica with a medical condition?