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As well as supporting BAS science projects, BASMU also carries out research in polar medicine.

Explore British Antarctic Survey (BAS) publications

BASMU Pre-Deployment Training

Doctors deploying to Antarctica with BASMU undertake a period of approximately 6 months training. Although this training is tailored to some degree by their existing skills and experience, it will usually cover a wide range of areas including the following:

• Dentistry
• Physiotherapy
• Radiography
• Mental Health
• Sedation
• Environmental Medicine
• Dive Medicine
• Nursing
• Crash Course (see below)
• BAS Pre-Deployment Training
• Sea Survival Training
• Carrying out BASMU medicals in Cambridge

Deploying BASMU doctors are encouraged to undertake further study and CPD as the internet facilities allow, with many working towards the Plymouth University MSc in global health.

BAS Staff Training

BASMU also deliver first aid training to BAS staff deploying to Antarctica. BAS staff initially complete a full 3 day or 1 day refresher course at Girton College, Cambridge as part of their pre-deployment training.

Once in Antarctica, all staff receive a local medical induction from the station doctor and refresher training as required.

CRASH (Combined Rescue and Sustained Hold) Course

Every year a number of BAS staff, generally those contracted to over-winter or field guides working on particularly remote projects, receive additional medical training. As of 2023 this training has evolved into the Crash Course. This 6 day course, based on Dartmoor, introduces advanced medical skills and prolonged casualty care in an adverse environment.

Senior Team

The senior team consists of emergency medicine consultants, senior doctors and senior nursing staff from Derriford Hospital. They are supported by a business manager and a secretary.

Specialist Staff

Staff from the Diving Diseases Research Centre (DDRC), Peninsula Dental Social Enterprise, South West Ambulance Service, Derriford Radiography,  & Physiotherapy Departments support BASMU with specialist advice, equipment and training as required.

Deploying Doctors

Placements can vary and be changed at short notice. Currently, following approximately 6 months of training, a doctor may be deployed to Rothera, King Edward Point or to the RRS Sir David Attenborough. Durations vary from 8 months on the ship, to 18 months overwintering at Rothera.
Military clinical fellows currently provide medical care to Halley and additional support at Rothera.

Deploying Medical Assistants

These military staff undergo specialist training with BAMSU, and currently provide medical cover at Signy and additional support to Rothera and field projects.

Find out about career opportunities with BASMU

Twin otter aircraft taking off at Fossil Bluff

All British Antarctic Survey staff and contractors going south are required to undertake a thorough medical assessment before deployment.

Find BASMU medical guidelines and forms

Bird Island

Located off the coast of South Georgia, Bird Island has its own time zone and microclimate. Its primary focus is the study of albatross and fur seals, with a particular emphasis on 4 species of albatross, including the largest: the wandering albatross. Bird Island has the longest running research record. Over winter, there are four personnel on station: two bird scientists, seal scientist, base mechanic/GA and one of the wintering staff is nominated station leader by BAS.

Signy

Summer Only

Signy Island is one of the South Orkney Islands. It is small, being only about 6.5km long and less than 5km wide. There is permanent ice cover over a large part of the island, which has a maximum height of 288m. In the summer, extensive areas of moss and some tufty grass are exposed, and there are numerous freshwater pools and lakes.

The Base at Signy was established in 1947 primarily as a meteorological station.  It was then developed into a major biological station and was equipped with laboratories, a 7m launch and a number of inflatable craft for work at sea. Diving beneath the ice in winter was supported by sledge and skidoo transport. Signy became a summer only station in 1997, which involved the transfer of marine sciences to Rothera station.

Signy continues to contribute a series of extremely valuable long term monitoring data sets to the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) and supports terrestrial biological projects, both long term and campaign.

Find out more about Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR)

KEP

Wintering Station

South Georgia is an isolated, mountainous Sub-Antarctic island situated in the South Atlantic 2150km east of Tierra del Fuego and 1390km south east of the Falkland Islands. The island is about 170km long and varies from 2 to 40km in width. Due to the surrounding Antarctic waters it has a harsher climate than its latitude may suggest (54°17’S, 36°30’W).

More than 50% of the island is covered with permanent ice with many large glaciers reaching the sea. The main mountain range which runs along the spine of the island reaches 2960m in height. The history of Seal and Whaling industry activity on the island stretched from 1778 to 1965. Commercial fishing in this SW sector of the Atlantic has been undertaken since the late 1960’s. The South Georgia Museum was established in 1992 at Grytviken, which is visited by passing Yachts and Tourist vessels.  Various species of Whale, Seal, Albatross and Penguin have their habitats on and around South Georgia.

Most research focuses on fisheries and marine related activity. There are however, a number of long-term monitoring science activities across a range of disciplines. The station is run by the British Antarctic Survey, with funding from the South Georgian Government under the direction of the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Adelie penguins

Rothera

Wintering Station

Rothera is currently the centre of the summer air operations supporting research on the geology of Antarctica and on the dynamics and chemistry of the Antarctic ice sheet.  A hard-core runway was completed in 1992/93 which increased the capacity for field work and permitted an air bridge between the Falkland Islands and Rothera using the Dash 7 aircraft.

The station was completed in 1978/79 and replaced an earlier base on the southern tip of Adelaide Island. Up to 168 personnel can be accommodated at the height of summer, with winter teams much smaller in number, of around 25-35 personnel.

In 1996 Rothera was equipped (including laboratories and diving facility) for the transition to succeed Signy as the BAS centre for biological research.

Rothera station acts as the logistic hub to support science activities on the continent, including transiting personnel and cargo to and from Halley via a fleet of 4 Twin Otter aircraft. Special safety cover is provided by field guides who are specialists in mountaineering and of operating in potentially dangerous conditions.

Approximately 250 miles south of Rothera is Fossil Bluff. This small station has a permanent building, and has in the past been occupied year round. Currently, it is manned by 2-3 people over the summer season. Another 200 miles further south is Sky Blu, a blue ice runway which can in good conditions cater for aircraft up to the Dash 7 aircraft. Beyond these stations field parties can be flown to remote camps for days, weeks & up to several months.

The surgery is currently located in Old Bransfield House, but is due to be replaced with a new facility in the Discovery Building. This construction project forms part of the Antarctic Improvement & Modernisation Project (AIMP) which has brought with in a significant cohort of construction partners during summer seasons since 2018, with construction also continuing through to the end of this decade.  At Rothera the AIMP also includes the wharf expansion, runway resurfacing and hanger re-build.

Icebergs off the Rothera runway

Halley

Summer Only

Halley is the most southerly of the BAS stations and the only one to be on the mainland of the continent rather than on an island.  Halley is, in fact, not on firm ground, but is built on a floating ice shelf - the Brunt Ice Shelf on the south-eastern coast of the Weddell Sea.  The station is sufficiently far south that in summer it bathes in the midnight sun whereas in winter it is in total darkness for some 105 days.  At times the auroral zone crosses over Halley giving magnificent auroral displays in winter, though at present it is a summer only station.

The relief operation at Halley is a major task with supplies being landed by commercially contracted ship onto the ice shelf and then having to be towed on sledges by SnoCat and Piston Bullies to the base, some 20km distant from the ice edge.  Because of the location of Halley, somewhat apart from the other UK stations and on the coast of the normally ice-bound Weddell Sea, it can be years between ship resupplies.  Halley can therefore justifiably claim to be the most isolated of the UK stations. At present sea ice conditions and  the fragility of the Brunt Ice shelf make ship access impossible thus at present it is a SUMMER only station operating for with staff ashore for 3 months. Input, extraction & supplies delivery between shipping opportunities is entirely  by air.

Halley is a centre for atmospheric science research.  Indeed, because of its position, it is the centre for research into the upper atmosphere and near-space.  Meteorological and climatological research is also carried out, and results from the continuous measurements, showing depletion of ozone above Halley, have assumed great international importance. The summer only status has means a great deal of the science is being automated for the winter period.

RRS Sir David Attenborough

In 2021, the SDA replaced BAS’s previous 2 ships the JCR and Shackleton. The SDA travels south during the Austral summer season, visiting the BAS  stations (apart from Halley) for relief whilst also carrying out a programme of scientific activity. During this time the ship surgery is staffed by a BASMU deployed doctor. During UK summer months, the ship periodically heads north supporting research programmes, during this time the ship surgery is staffed by a range of personnel (nursing staff, paramedic, military medics).

RRS Sir David Attenborough

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