| Selection of patients for transport | Regional risk assessment | Vehicle availability. Availability of alternative platforms. |
| Risk of occupational infection on different platforms. |
| HEMS continuity and the impact of suspending HEMS/aeromedical services and redeploying staff. |
| Planned management of patients without COVID-19 symptoms |
| Infection control strategies | PPE | PPE supplies |
| PPE training (including aircrew) |
| PPE compatibility with aviation safety and communications equipment |
| PPE compatibility with working environment (eg heat stress, visibility) |
| Minimise exposure: people | Protecting the flight crew from patient contact (screens, no patient handling) |
| Reducing flight crew numbers |
| Aligning medical/aviation shift patterns to avoid exposure of multiple crews |
| Minimise exposure: equipment | Removal of extra medical/rescue equipment |
| Removal of some aviation safety gear |
| Packaging equipment in wipe-down packaging |
| Choosing a route through the hospital to minimise cross-contamination |
| At the hospital | Accessing the patient | Time and place for handover and donning PPE |
| Need for extra staff on ground (e.g. a runner in clean PPE to open doors/operate lifts) |
| Intubation | Logistics of performing intubation in PPE |
| Policy for use of PPE during the intubation of non-COVID-19 patients during pandemic COVID-19 |
| Packaging | How to package the patient to reduce their infectivity |
| At mission completion | Waste disposal | Management of increased clinical waste |
| Sorting of waste to minimise clinical waste |
| Decontamination | Suitable aircraft cleaning products, and their availability |
| Where and by whom the aircraft will be cleaned |
| Follow-up | Management of PPE breaches |
| Management of exposed or symptomatic staff |
| In the community | Base living | Modifications to cleaning schedule |
| Minimising staff on base |
| Maintaining morale |
| Social distancing off-duty |
