Launched on Monday St George’s Hospital new helipad is the second helipad to be built in London, and the first to be built south of the river Thames

The helipad cost £5m to build, with £1m being donated by the HELP charity appeal, and is expected to become fully functional following test flights.

It will mainly support Kent, Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance and London Air Ambulance services by speeding up the time it takes to transfer patients that are injured or seriously ill as well as transferring patients to and from the hospital for specialist treatment.

There will be a slight increase in noise pollution for local residents, but it is to be noted that the helipad will only be operational during daylight hours, from 8.00am – 8.00pm, to ensure this is kept to a minimum.

The helipad, which took a year and half to build, sits some five storeys above the emergency department and has direct lift access from the rooftop. The structure further solidifies the hospitals position as one of the four major trauma centres in London where expert facilities and staff are available to save lives.