Plans are in place at the Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham

The region's airport at Castle Donington in Leicestershire is one of 16 across the country which will receive any injured troops who need specialist treatment.

The plans for treating casualties have been spread across the UK to limit the impact on any specific area.

The first three battle casualties to be flown home arrived at Stansted Airport on Wednesday and are being treated at two hospitals in Essex.

Hospitals in the East Midlands, including Leicester Royal Infirmary and Derby City General Hospital, could treat soldiers with serious burns or other major injuries.

We anticipate that any military patients will be coming to us in what we call a stabilised state Mark Henley, plastic surgeon

The Queen's Medical Centre's accident and emergency unit in Nottingham is being made available if it is needed.

Some elderly patients have already been found places at old people's homes in case soldiers need their hospital beds.

Mark Henley, a plastic surgeon consultant at Nottingham City Hospital, is an advisor to the Royal Navy.

He took part in a recent conference among the medical profession on how to deal with war casualties.

"While military injuries have a lot in common with civilian injuries there are some areas that are not the same," Mr Henley explained.

"The sort of things that come to mind are things like chemical injuries, shrapnel wounds and things that are not normally found in civilian practice.

"We anticipate that any military patients will be coming to us in what we call a stabilised state and that from plastic surgery they be will requiring curative and restorative treatment."