Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance are working closely with HELP to enable a unique project to equip Southampton General Hospital with a purpose-built life-saving helipad. Up until now, emergency airlifts have had to stop short of the hospital – the best the Air Ambulance could do was to touch down in a council field in Lordshill at least two miles from A & E. The Helicopter Landing Pads Appeal (HELP) aims to spare the gravely ill and injured the transfer of anything up to thirty more minutes by road, by building a brand new landing deck on top of the multi-storey car park in the north-west corner of the hospital campus at a cost of over £1 million. Construction is already underway and, once it’s complete, trauma patients will be airlifted straight to Southampton General landing just seconds away from where skilled surgeons will be waiting. Since nothing is more critical than time in serious accidents and medical emergencies, the helipad will dramatically improve the chances for many of those whose lives depend on getting urgent help more quickly. “In the ‘golden hour’ after an accident or a sudden illness, the difference is often a fast flying helicopter that reaches those in distress sooner and gets back to A & E quickly enough to give them the best possible chance of survival”. So says Dr David Sutton, Consultant at Southampton University Hospital Trust who is backing the ambitious plan.  More information is available at www.helpappeal.co.uk.

You can read more information about the Helipad here