Jersey and Guernsey emergency patients can land in Bournemouth at weekends

Emergency medical flights from the Channel Islands will be able to land in Bournemouth while Southampton Airport is closed on Saturdays and Sundays.

Plans are in place in light of the airport's partial closure until mid-March, the governments of Jersey and Guernsey said.

Flights will be also be able to land on UK military bases if necessary.

A HM Coastguard helicopter can access Southampton General Hospital directly too, both governments confirmed.

The airport announced it will be closed at weekends from 6 February in light of a 90% fall in passenger numbers, begun by the collapse of Flybe last March and exacerbated by coronavirus travel restrictions.

It said "critical lifeline services", including those to the Channel Islands, would continue Monday to Friday.

The planned closures would "not significantly impact emergency flights", with access to Bournemouth and helicopter transfer, the Government of Jersey said.

It said: "In any situation where none of these options are available, we can consider military assistance."

The States of Guernsey said "well established contingency plans" were in place in place to deal with the unavailability of Southampton airport.

It confirmed any patients requiring non-emergency transfer for medical reasons over the weekend will be flown on Fridays and provided with accommodation.

He said: "For any medical flights that are required at weekends, we have 24-hour access to Bournemouth Airport as well as arrangements with the military to land at some of their sites if required.

"Patients would then be transported from the landing site to Southampton General Hospital by ambulance."

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