We’re supporting calls to improve 24/7 on-site hospital helipad access so patients can reach specialist care more quickly. This follows a new national report which has identified significant variation in hospital helipad provision across the UK, including at Major Trauma Centres and specialist hospitals in Kent, Surrey and Sussex.
The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Air Ambulances report, Critical Moments, Life-Saving Infrastructure: The Case for Safeguarded 24/7 On-Site Hospital Helipads calls for improved and consistent 24/7 on-site helipad access to ensure faster access to specialist emergency care.
Over half of Major Trauma Centres and specialist hospitals can’t consistently support 24/7 on-site access, highlighting a clear national infrastructure gap. Hospital helipads help save vital time in emergencies by allowing air ambulances to transfer patients to specialist care more quickly.
The report calls for improved and consistent 24/7 on-site helipad access to ensure faster access to specialist emergency care and calls for coordinated Government action across health, transport, and planning departments to address gaps in provision and ensure hospital helipads are consistently recognised as essential NHS infrastructure.
A special parliamentary reception at the House of Commons to raise awareness of the lifesaving work of the UK’s air ambulance charities on 2 June, attracted support from key political figures. More than 50 Members of Parliament attended the gathering, organised by Air Ambulances UK (AAUK), the national charity supporting the UK’s 21 air ambulance charities.
Our Chief Executive David Welch said: “For our communities across Kent, Surrey and Sussex, rapid access to specialist hospital care is vital. 24/7 on-site helipads help ensure we can fly patients directly to the hospital they need for the ongoing treatment they require without delay, wherever they are.
“Improving and safeguarding this access is critical to providing the best possible patient outcomes by ensuring that no time is lost at the most crucial moments in a patient’s treatment and care.
“Our regional analysis shows that access to hospital helipads across Kent, Surrey and Sussex is not always consistent, with some sites facing operational restrictions or requiring off-site landings and secondary transfers. Addressing these gaps is essential to ensure every patient can benefit from the fastest possible route to specialist care.”
For former KSS patients, Jon Honeyman and Martyn Wood, who both suffered cardiac arrests just minutes and miles apart, being flown directly to the helipad at William Harvey Hospital in Kent meant they could be transferred straight into specialist care without delay at the most critical moment.
“We were incredibly lucky, not just because of the people who helped us at the scene, but because we could be flown straight to hospital and into specialist care.
“After a cardiac arrest, every second counts, and avoiding any delay in getting to hospital can make all the difference. Having access to a hospital helipad gave us both the best possible chance.”
Get involved
A public petition has now been launched calling for improved and consistent 24/7 hospital helipad provision across the UK. Please Click here to sign the petition. You can also help this important campaign by writing to your MP (using templated letters and emails?) You can also help by raising and sharing social media posts.
