AS families prepare to exchange Christmas presents, an Army officer from the region is expecting an unusual present - an operating theatre.

Lieutenant Colonel Bob Duncan, who heads the British military field hospital and medical provision in Iraq, hopes that he will receive three new operating tables, storage and sterilising facilities in a semi-permanent building in Shaibah Logistic Base, south west of Basrah.

"Over the past two years we have been constantly improving our hospital facilities and the new operating suite will make a real difference." said Lt Col Duncan who lives in Richmond, North Yorkshire, with his wife, Tracey and four-month-old twins, Thomas and William.

"We found the floor in the tented operating theatre was not stable enough. In summer, it got very hot for the surgeons, particularly when they were wearing their gowns and lead aprons. In sandstorms even the best tent has small cracks and holes where the dust will get in, so we are really looking forward to using the new operating suite."

Lt Col Duncan heads 347 medical staff from all the UK Armed Forces, as well as a small number of civilians who are employed to work with them. Together, the medical group consists of a field hospital, GP's surgery, dressing and ambulance stations, dental and physiotherapy facilities.

The hospital treats not only UK and coalition soldiers. but locally-employed contractors and, in extreme emergency, local civilians.

The hospital squadron comes from 34 Field Hospital, based at Queen Elizabeth Barracks, in York, but is made up of medical staff from all over the country, including a few from the Friarage Hospital, in Northallerton, and Territorial Army nurses from 201 Field Hospital, at Fenham Barracks, in Newcastle.

"This is done so that at one time we are not stripping out the doctors and nurses from any one hospital," said Lt Col Duncan.

Plans are being made to provide some Christmas cheer on the wards with the arrival of an unnamed physician from the UK.

"He doesn't know it yet, but someone has sent him a Santa suit and he will be visiting staff and patients on the wards on Christmas Day," confided the field hospital's matron, Major Jan Pilgrim, from North Shields.

"However, people do not like being in hospital for Christmas and we hope that there will not be many patients on our wards on Christmas Day."