A convective blanket for supporting a patient, comprising: a top layer for supporting the body of the patient; a bottom layer joined to the top layer at its periphery, said top and bottom layers selectively bonded at different sections away from the periphery to form an inflatable structure where portions of said top and bottom layers which are not bonded form pocketed portions that are inflatable; and at least one input port (48; 82, 84) provided at said inflatable structure whereby temperature treated air is feedable into said structure; said structure configured to have a head portion including a non-inflatable head section whereon the head of the patient rests and a body portion where the torso of the patient is positioned when the patient is placed on said top layer of the structure; characterised in that said non-inflatable head section is surrounded on its three sides that are respectively adjacent to the top, left and right sides of the head of the patient, when the patient is positioned on said top layer, by a substantially U-shaped channel (20; 70) having at least one row of apertures (22a'-c', 22a"-c", 22a"'-c"'; 70) being in close proximity to the top, left and right sides of the non-inflatable head section whereon the head of the patient rests, a second channel separated from the top of said U-shaped channel by a second bonded section, said second channel having at least one row of apertures (42a-c) for outputting the temperature treated air substantially towards the top of the head of the patient when said structure is inflated and a third channel located between the periphery of said structure and the second channel and separated from said second channel above the top of the head of the patient by a third bonded section, said third channel having at least one row of apertures (46a-b) for outputting the temperature treated air substantially towards the top of the head of the patient when said structure is inflated; wherein when said structure is inflated, the temperature treated air input to said structure is output from the apertures (22a'-c', 22a"-c", 22a"'-c"'; 70, 42a-c, 46a-b) of said rows of apertures (22a'-c', 22a"-c", 22a"'-c"'; 70, 42a-c, 46a-b) from the substantially U-shaped channel (20; 70) positioned relative to the head of the patient and the second and third channels (42, 43) substantially towards the head of the patient positioned on the blanket. a top layer for supporting the body of the patient; a bottom layer joined to the top layer at its periphery, said top and bottom layers selectively bonded at different sections away from the periphery to form an inflatable structure where portions of said top and bottom layers which are not bonded form pocketed portions that are inflatable; and at least one input port (48; 82, 84) provided at said inflatable structure whereby temperature treated air is feedable into said structure; said structure configured to have a head portion including a non-inflatable head section whereon the head of the patient rests and a body portion where the torso of the patient is positioned when the patient is placed on said top layer of the structure; characterised in that said non-inflatable head section is surrounded on its three sides that are respectively adjacent to the top, left and right sides of the head of the patient, when the patient is positioned on said top layer, by a substantially U-shaped channel (20; 70) having at least one row of apertures (22a'-c', 22a"-c", 22a"'-c"'; 70) being in close proximity to the top, left and right sides of the non-inflatable head section whereon the head of the patient rests, a second channel separated from the top of said U-shaped channel by a second bonded section, said second channel having at least one row of apertures (42a-c) for outputting the temperature treated air substantially towards the top of the head of the patient when said structure is inflated and a third channel located between the periphery of said structure and the second channel and separated from said second channel above the top of the head of the patient by a third bonded section, said third channel having at least one row of apertures (46a-b) for outputting the temperature treated air substantially towards the top of the head of the patient when said structure is inflated; wherein when said structure is inflated, the temperature treated air input to said structure is output from the apertures (22a'-c', 22a"-c", 22a"'-c"'; 70, 42a-c, 46a-b) of said rows of apertures (22a'-c', 22a"-c", 22a"'-c"'; 70, 42a-c, 46a-b) from the substantially U-shaped channel (20; 70) positioned relative to the head of the patient and the second and third channels (42, 43) substantially towards the head of the patient positioned on the blanket.