Funds have been given to the burns unit at Broomfield Hospital

The government has given the cash to specialist NHS units at Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford, Essex, Wythenshawe hospital in Manchester and the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle.

Iraqi civilians have already received treatment in the UK with one woman presently recovering at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle.

The extra funding over two years is to stop extra pressure at the three units which could have meant local people being turned away.

The British government also needs to honour its Geneva Convention responsibilities for civilians under its control in southern Iraq.

They have been funded to avoid any situation where beds were taken at the expense of local NHS patients Health Department spokeswoman

The convention says any occupying force has to ensure civilians get any medical treatment they need.

Len Fenwick, chief executive of Newcastle NHS Hospitals Trust, said: "We are dealing with a special client group, to give good quality care and treatment.

"We are an occupying power and under international conventions we have a duty of care to these patients."

On Thursday, a Department of Health spokeswoman said the Iraqi patients would be flown to the UK if they cannot be treated locally and are fit to travel.

"These beds are not ring fenced and can be used by NHS patients because we are not talking about hundreds of Iraqi patients," she said.

"But they have been funded to avoid any situation where beds were taken at the expense of local NHS patients."

The spokeswoman added that families of the Iraqis requiring treatment will accompany them to Britain.

She said that no Iraqis who have come to Britain have so far asked for asylum.