Coronavirus: RAF Flies Patient From Northern Ireland To England For Treatment

A patient has been flown by the RAF from Northern Ireland to England for treatment over COVID-19-related issues.

The patient was flown early on Wednesday from Belfast International Airport to East Midlands Airport, before being taken to Leicester’s Glenfield Hospital.

A Ministry of Defence (MOD) spokesperson said the transfer marks the fourth time the RAF has assisted Northern Ireland’s department of health by transferring a patient during the coronavirus pandemic.

The MOD also provided assistance in Northern Ireland by creating a large temporary mortuary inside a British Army base in County Down.

It was set up to help authorities cope in the event of very high coronavirus death numbers.

In April, Health Minister Robin Swann indicated he had sought military assistance to help redistribute life-saving equipment and assist the development of a further Nightingale facility “in the event of an extreme surge of COVID-19 patients”.

Having feared a "worst-case scenario” of 15,000 COVID-19 deaths, the total reported by the Department of Health stands at 543 in Northern Ireland.

Cover image: RAF working with health workers to transport the patient (Picture: ArmedForcesNI/ Twitter).