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Helipad Insight | 2019
Helipad Insight | 2019
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They have everything they need to save lives
We give them the safest, quickest and most convenient place to land, directly at a hospital The second someone is seriously injured or suffers a sudden illness, a unique and dangerous clock starts ticking. Doctors know the best chance of a trauma patient surviving is if they receive the emergency medical attention they need in the first 60 minutes. After this ‘Golden Hour’, the odds of a full recovery start to nose-dive.
That’s why the swift actions of the Air Ambulances can help save countless lives; cutting through the sky and getting the patient to the hospital in minutes, when congested roads, gridlocked motorways or incidents in remote, rural areas leave other crews battling to reach the scene in time.
In an emergency, when time is of the essence, being able to land seconds away from specialist care, is crucial. For many patients, a helipad could represent the difference between life and death.
The HELP Appeal is here to provide funding towards the most appropriate base infrastructure, where and when it’s needed.
And that’s how we are playing our important part in helping to save lives.
ContentsChairman 4-5
Chief Executive 6-7
Helipad Projects 8-9
Major Trauma Centres 10-31
A&E Hospitals 32-49
Night Flying 50-51
Real Life Stories 52-53
Impact Insight 54-55
Activity Insight 56-57
Funding Insight 58-59
Future Insight 60-61
County Air Ambulance Trust Insight 62-63
Contact Details 64
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“There are times in life when people say we couldn’t have done it without you, but in this case it’s absolutely true and you should be extremely proud that your charity is one that saves lives and we will never forget it”
Rob Bentley, Clinical Director of King’s College Hospital, London
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Chairman of the HELP AppealThe HELP Appeal was established in 2009 to help make a difference to an absolutely vital, but lesser known, element in emergency care – hospital helipads. We have the hospitals and air ambulances, but not helipads everywhere for critically ill patients to land. Helipads beside an ED save time in getting a seriously ill patient to treatment and could save their life. So, this had to change; and fast.
Since then, I’m delighted to say that, as the only charity in the country dedicated to funding lifesaving hospital helipads, the HELP Appeal has donated significant funds across the entire country.
Brand new helipads, upgraded helipads, helipads with state-of-the-art firefighting technology, helipads with lighting to enable night flights, heated helipads so helicopters can land safely in freezing weather, have only been possible because of public’s generosity. Without this support, we and a huge number of helipads across the country, would not exist.
But our work is not done. Although this report provides an insight into the huge advances we have made, it also highlights the level of funding that’s still urgently needed for many more projects that need our attention. With your help we can do this.
Michael Henriques, Chairman of Trustees
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We would like to thank the various Air Ambulance Charities for use of many of the pictures featured in this brochure.
Working with Air Ambulance Charities around the country, helping to save lives
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Chief Executive of the HELP AppealThe HELP Appeal provides non-repayable grants towards the cost of new or improvements to helipads. Its effectiveness relies, in large part, on the powerful links we are able to establish with many key partners.
Work is ongoing with a number of hospitals to initiate new helipads and upgrade those that do not have the full facilities needed to accommodate helicopters at any time of the day or night.
We also value the huge support and encouragement we receive from Air Ambulance Charities around the country – this close cooperation is important in developing the network of landing points with direct access to specialist Emergency Departments, to ensure that the UK Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS), provides the very best service to patients.
Our focussed and targeted marketing campaigns have been successful in continuing to create awareness of the HELP Appeal. We are building on this profile to ensure that our fund raising aspirations are achieved and then applied to maintain a facility, which any one of us might need at any time.
Robert Bertram, Chief Executive
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ENGLAND
MAJOR TRAUMA CENTRES
Operational:
St. George’s, LondonKing’s College, London Bristol Royal InfirmaryBristol SouthmeadSouthamptonPrestonCambridgePlymouthSheffield General Liverpool Aintree Leeds Hull
Planned:
ManchesterBrightonCoventrySalfordSheffield Children’s Royal Liverpool St Mary’s, London Birmingham NewcastleStoke
A&E HOSPITALS
Operational:
GloucesterIsle of WightShrewsburyTelfordOswestry Ipswich BournemouthGrimsby Dorchester
Planned:
HerefordStoke MandevilleWorcesterLeicesterScarboroughLutonBury St EdmundsExeter Keighley Carlisle Ashford Torbay RomfordPeterborough
PrescotMaidstone Milton Keynes PortsmouthWolverhamptonColchesterHastingsGillinghamMargateRedhill Dartford
SCOTLAND
MAJOR TRAUMA CENTRES
Operational:
Glasgow
Planned:
Edinburgh
A&E HOSPITALS
Operational:
StornowayOrkney Isle of Skye Isle of Arran Isle of BarraInverness Isle of Mull
Planned:
CampbeltownKilmarnock
This process of helipad development is ongoing. We are involved in discussions with other hospitals and many are undergoing feasibility studies to ascertain the most appropriate solutions for their individual situations and needs.
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Helipad ProjectsThe HELP Appeal is involved in a variety of important helipad projects, for a number of hospitals, throughout England & Scotland. Many of these reflect the critical role played by Major Trauma Centres and the vital need for the right kind of base infrastructure.
A trauma system is specially designed to care for patients with multiple serious injuries that could result in death or serious disability, including head injuries, life-threatening wounds and multiple fractures.
Major Trauma Centres are set up to provide this specialised care. They are hubs that work closely with a series of local trauma units. They operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week and are staffed by consultant-led specialist teams, with access to the best diagnostic and treatment facilities, including orthopaedics, neurosurgery and radiology.
Pre-hospital assessment and care is crucial – it means Air Ambulance crews work closely with the major trauma network to ensure that the most urgent patients are sent to the most appropriate place, often bypassing their local hospital for definitive treatment.
And being able to land close to the Emergency Departments is obviously a vital factor.
“The HELP Appeal is a significant initiative in ensuring that those patients who sustain life threatening critical injuries are able to be flown directly by air ambulance to a Major Trauma Centre, where all the specialist clinical skills and medical equipment are immediately available to improve their chance of survivability and recovery. The HELP Appeal is the only charity in the country funding helipads at key hospitals.”
Professor Sir Keith Porter, the UK’s only Professor in Clinical Traumatology
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Aintree University Hospital, LiverpoolMajor Trauma Centre
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“Every second counts in matters of severe trauma, which makes helipads like this one so critically important for patients across the region. Its close proximity to the hospital will enhance the lifesaving service we provide, as we will no longer have to rely on a land ambulance to transfer patients to the emergency department. Overall, we anticipate that this new addition at Aintree will save around 10-12 minutes per patient – enough to save a life.”
Mark Evans, Clinical Service Manager at the North West Air Ambulance Charity
A new £1m helicopter landing pad at Aintree University Hospital in Liverpool opened in July 2017 following an inaugural test flight by the North West Air Ambulance.
Medics say the helipad will save vital minutes when transferring trauma patients from air ambulances into the hospital, which is part of the regional Major Trauma Centre together with neuro specialists at the Walton Centre.
Previously air ambulances have had to land on the playing fields in Lower Lane, after which a road ambulance is sent to transfer patients to Aintree’s £35m Urgent Care and Trauma Centre. This can add up to half an hour to the journey. But, with the new helipad, it will take just a few minutes.
Simon Scott, clinical director for major trauma at Aintree, said: “The trauma centre treats patients who are seriously injured and, in those circumstances, every second counts and being able to minimise the transfer time will make a huge difference to our patients and will help us save more lives.”
The regional trauma centre receives patients from across Cheshire and Merseyside who need urgent specialist care which isn’t necessarily available in their local hospital.
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Leeds General InfirmaryMajor Trauma Centre
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Yorkshire Air Ambulance requested assistance to fund lighting on the helipad at Leeds General Infirmary, a Major Trauma Centre and one of the country’s leading teaching hospitals. The hospital has an international reputation for its expertise and the existing helipad was built on the Jubilee Building in 2017.
Whilst thousands of flights by the Yorkshire Air Ambulance have brought sick patients from all across the Yorkshire region and beyond to be treated by experts at LGI, the helipad was only in use during daylight hours but now thanks to the HELP Appeal, air ambulances can land after dark. As well as funding the new lighting the HELP Appeal also funded new fire-fighting equipment.
Central to the site is the Jubilee Building, which It brings together many of the country’s leading experts in caring for critically ill patients with serious brain injuries, heart and lung problems and major trauma. The hospital has a large and busy Accident and Emergency department for adults, and next to it is a separate dedicated facility catering for children up of the age of 16, adjacent to the facilities of Leeds Children’s Hospital to ensure seamless care for youngsters.
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“The HELP Appeal has been instrumental in facilitating the extension of our helideck capabilities, which is ensuring we can truly deliver world class major trauma services to the people of Yorkshire.”
Linda Pollard OBE, Chair of the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
King’s College Hospital, LondonMajor Trauma Centre
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“We are incredibly pleased that our helipad at King’s is operational. It’s a very positive development for the patients we treat and our staff, who go above and beyond, every single day to save people’s lives. At King’s we treat some of the most seriously ill and critically injured patients in the South East. The helipad will speed up the time it takes to transfer patients from helicopter to hospital, giving them the very best chance of survival.”
Dr Malcolm Tunnicliff, Clinical Director for Emergency Medicine at King’s College Hospital, London
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The new helipad on top of King’s College Hospital’s 10-storey Ruskin Wing represents a hugely reassuring presence to trauma patients throughout South East London and Kent.
It significantly speeds up the time it takes an Air Ambulance to transfer critically ill patients to the vital, expert care they need; the ‘landing-to-resus’ time is reduced to just 5 minutes, an improvement of anything up to 20 minutes on the previous arrangement.
The helipad is also the first in mainland UK to be equipped with a deck integrated fire-fighting (DIFFS) system. In the event of a fire, the automated system sprays foam from a series of nozzles installed into the helideck and will extinguish a blaze within seconds, even in the strong winds often experienced at this height.
The system makes it safer for everyone involved, including emergency rescue teams, as they can work alongside the spray activation to help with the evacuation of patients and crew from the Air Ambulance.
Not only does it mean that fire fighters can be freed up to work on the ground, but this modern and proven system will save the Trust up to £200,000 a year, at a time when budgets are under increasing pressure.
All this was made possible thanks to a total donation of £2.75 million from the HELP Appeal. It will go a long way to ensuring that King’s College Hospital continues to deliver world-class trauma care and save even more lives.
Sheffield Northern General HospitalMajor Trauma Centre
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The process started with an acknowledgement that the last helipad, built over 20 years ago, was no longer properly fit for the increasing demands of today. It was within a hilly area, surrounded by trees, which made landing an Air Ambulance an unnecessarily challenging procedure and, because of the distance from the Emergency Department, it required a secondary transfer to reach the hospital. All this took extra time and created additional complexity and risks for patients.
Now a modern, fully operational helipad, serving the needs of a local population of 1.8 million, means that critically ill patients are a quick trolley push away from a consultant-led specialist team with access to the very best diagnostic and life-saving treatment facilities.
In the first 20 days since its opening, there were 10 Air Ambulance landings; confirmation of its real value to the community.
A Grant of over £1m from the HELP Appeal played a huge part in realising the aims and ambitions that Sheffield Hospital had.
“We are indebted to the HELP Appeal for their extremely generous support of our appeal for a primary helipad. For our staff to know that patients injured closest to our MTC will no longer be flown elsewhere with better landing facilities is huge for us, and the large chunks of time saved when each Air Ambulance arrives means that we now have the very best chance of saving more lives. Thank you.”
Dr. Stuart Reid, Consultant Emergency Physician and Trust Clinical Lead for Major Trauma HEMS Doctor, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland Air Ambulance
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Derriford Hospital, PlymouthMajor Trauma Centre
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Although Derriford Hospital Plymouth is the Major Trauma Centre for Devon and Cornwall, until recently it didn’t have a helipad suitable for the demands placed upon it. A small grassed-over area with no lighting, where larger Search and Rescue helicopters were unable to land anyway, was deemed wholly inadequate.
Thanks in large part to a Grant of £850,000 from the HELP Appeal, a brand new helipad opened in June 2015. The highly advanced facility addressed previous shortcomings including the installation of a proper lighting system, which now means that Air Ambulances are able to land at Derriford 24 hours a day,
As a tangible measure of its relevance and success, in the first year there have been over 280 Air Ambulance and Search and Rescue helicopter landings; that’s more than 5 critically ill and seriously injured patients a week who have been given an improved opportunity to access the right treatment, in the right place, at the right time.
“The new helipad has made a huge difference to the way in which the hospital is able to receive and treat time-critical patients.
This fantastic facility has made it easier for operators to land, has extended their ability to land at night if required and has meant that a far greater type of aircraft is able to use the helipad.
It is hard to believe that only a year ago we were still reliant on a large piece of grass for operators to land. The new helipad looks as if it has always been there and its design and construction is a great credit to all those involved in its conception and delivery.”
Andrew Davies, Facilities Operations Manager for Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust
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Queen Elizabeth University Hospital GlasgowMajor Trauma Centre
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As part of an enhanced network of care, there are plans to establish four specialist Major Trauma Centres in Scotland, from 2016. The Scottish Government predicts that these bases will provide life-saving treatment to 1,200 patients a year, by speeding up access to the specialist care they require.
Positioned on the rooftop of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital Glasgow and Royal Hospital For Sick Children, and with funding support from the HELP Appeal, a large helipad sits at the heart of this brand new state-of-the-art facility. Its size enables larger search and rescue helicopters, such as Sea Kings, to land as well.
The helipad’s efficient design results in further time savings – the Air Ambulance can be met by a team of specialists and then the patient will be taken down a ramp on a trolley, directly into the appropriate treatment room.
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“I would like, on behalf of our staff and patients, to personally thank the HELP Appeal for their magnificent donation. It’s bringing real benefits to patients and helping save lives across Scotland.”
Andrew Robertson, Chairman, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
Bristol Royal InfirmaryMajor Trauma Centre for Children
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The construction of the £3 million helipad, supported by a grant of £500,000 from the HELP Appeal, was part of a wider programme of redevelopment and refurbishment across the BRI by University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust [UH Bristol].
Its opening coincided with the transfer of specialist children’s services, including burns, neurosurgery, plastic, orthopaedic and emergency services, from Frenchay Hospital to Bristol Royal Hospital for Children.
The 25 x 25 metre aluminium helipad connects directly to services within the Bristol Royal Hospital for Children as well as the Bristol Heart Institute, which also receives patients transferred by helicopter for cardiac treatment.
A total of six Air Ambulance providers in the region use the helipad to transport seriously ill and injured patients to hospital.
“The new helipad will enable patients to be transferred rapidly and efficiently to specialist services in our hospitals from across the South West and will increase their chance of survival and a good recovery. It will support UH Bristol to fulfil its role as the Paediatric Major Trauma Centre for the South West and the Regional Centre for Primary Angioplasty (emergency treatment for a heart attack).”
Philip Cowburn, Consultant in Emergency Medicine and ‘flying doctor’ on Great Western Air Ambulance
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Bristol, SouthmeadMajor Trauma Centre for Adults
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The HELP Appeal contributed over half the cost for the development of a ground level helipad at Southmead Hospital, an essential facility for the region’s pivotal Adult Major Trauma Centre.
Since its construction, there has been an average of one landing every two days, giving access to quicker specialist treatment in medical emergencies.
We are also funding a covered walkway to make the transfer process a more comfortable one for the patients being admitted into the emergency treatment department.
“We are absolutely delighted that the HELP Appeal are supporting Southmead Hospital and services in the wider Bristol area. As the Adult Major Trauma Centre for the region, North Bristol NHS Trust provides a vital service and the increasing numbers of Air Ambulance transfers are a big part of that. The grant from the HELP appeal is a major contribution to our work.”
Jane Ibbunson, Head of Fundraising, Southmead Hospital Charity
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St. George’s Hospital, LondonMajor Trauma Centre
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By significantly reducing transfer times to the Major Trauma Centre, the helipad at St George’s Hospital in South West London is helping to save the lives of many critically ill patients being flown in by the Kent, Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance, as well as others.
Positioned on the roof of the St. James Wing, it means that people with serious injuries, such as those caused by road accidents, shootings, stabbings, major burns and falls-from-height, can now be treated more immediately.
The helicopter is able to land directly on the roof of the hospital rather than having to fly to locations further afield. From here, patients can then be taken directly to the Emergency Department via a dedicated lift, saving many vital minutes, at a critically important time.
This is the second hospital helipad in London and the first south of the river. We’re proud to say that the start point for its development was the £1m grant from the HELP Appeal.
“The helipad is a great resource for the hospital and will make a huge difference to the trauma patients we receive here. Our Major Trauma Centre already has the facilities and staff to provide expert care and with the addition of the new helipad, we can now deliver treatment faster than ever before.”
Heather Jarman, Clinical Director for Major Trauma at St. George’s Healthcare NHS Trust
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Southampton General HospitalMajor Trauma Centre
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Southampton General had been working towards a new on-site helipad for some time and the HELP Appeal funded two thirds of the necessary costs to get the project off the ground. Situated on top of the hospital’s main car park, it means that patients are now just a short trolley push down the ramp directly into the expert care of waiting consultants.
And critically, up to half an hour has been shaved from previous transfer times.
The new helipad represents a crucial piece of life-saving equipment for the hospital and is playing a key role in helping critically ill patients in the region. Since it opened in 2011, over 1,600 Air Ambulance landings have been recorded.
“The helipad will save lives and improve outcomes for a wide range of patients across Hampshire – including the Isle of Wight, Wiltshire, Dorset and beyond and is one of the few helipads in the UK that can receive critically ill patients 24 hours a day. Southampton General Hospital serves as the Major Trauma Centre for the region and provides specialist children’s services for the whole of the south of England. It also provides specialist care for patients suffering strokes, heart attacks and other critical illnesses. This helipad will offer many more people access to the care they require.”
Dr. Andy Eynon, Director of Major Trauma, University Hospital, Southampton NHS Foundation Trust [UHSFT]
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Royal Preston HospitalMajor Trauma Centre
As a Major Trauma Centre, Preston had all the medical specialists and departments on hand. It also had a helipad.
What was lacking though, was the ability to fly critically ill patients to the hospital during hours of darkness. The HELP Appeal stepped in to ensure that proper lighting could be installed, thereby bringing the hospital up to the high standards expected of an MTC, across every facility.
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Addenbrookes Hospital, CambridgeMajor Trauma Centre
One of the biggest hospitals in the country and a respected Major Trauma Centre, surprisingly Addenbrookes did not have a helipad.
So, we provided funding towards the cost of a temporary facility, which, for a number of logistical reasons, requires a secondary transfer by road ambulance to the A&E department.
Everyone involved recognises that, even though the helipad has been a valuable addition to the process of getting patients with life-threatening injuries treated more quickly, the new arrangement is not entirely what is needed. We are therefore undertaking an in-depth feasibility study in conjunction with the CAAi to see how the current restrictions might be overcome.
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Raigmore Hospital, InvernessA&E Hospital
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With over 500 flights each year it’s a common sight to see helicopters arriving and taking off from the helipad at Raigmore Hospital, Inverness. The helipad was in need of an upgrade to meet the increasing demands of larger and more frequent aircraft use as well as new standards such as landing lights and helipad size. This essential work was made possible after the HELP Appeal donated £480,000.
The upgrade was the HELP Appeal’s seventh project in Scotland, following the funding of hospital helipads in Glasgow, Edinburgh and four Highland and Island helipads. “The helipad at Raigmore Hospital serves
as an essential time and lifesaving facility on which the entire population of the Highlands and Islands may depend, not only due to the enormous area served by NHS Highland but also the distance covered and the remote locations.
The upgrade to the helipad will ensure that what we have on site is fit for the future, the difference between what we had and what we have now is quite impressive.”
Dr Andrew Rowlands, consultant in emergency medicine and clinical lead for the Emergency Department
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Ipswich HospitalA&E Hospital
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The hospital’s previous helipad was located at the back of the school field at Copleston High School. It would take critically ill patients between 15 to 20 minutes to be transferred to the hospital. With the new helipad, it is considerably faster with this reduction in time offering seriously ill patients the best possible chance of survival and recovery.
The helipad will also mean the hospital and air ambulance teams can transfer patients from Ipswich Hospital for emergency treatment in other specialist centres quickly and smoothly.
There are three air ambulances operating five helicopters across the region which will be able to land on the new helipad, including the East Anglian Air Ambulance which treated and delivered 47 patients to Ipswich hospital in 2016/17. With a larger size of 25m x 25m and built-in lighting, air ambulance helicopters will also have the ability to land at the hospital in the hours of darkness for the first time.
This means significantly more patients will now be able to land at Ipswich Hospital and have access to its expert treatment because of these new developments.
The HELP Appeal funded the entire work with a Grant of £250,000.
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“Trauma is a disease of time and every second is crucial when dealing with medical emergencies. The minutes the new helipad at Ipswich Hospital will save could be the difference between life and death for many of our patients. I am extremely proud of the medical care that is provided by Ipswich hospital and the East Anglian Air ambulance and am delighted that the HELP Appeal has enabled us to further enhance our service by making the new helipad possible.”
Dr Neil Berry, consultant Anaesthetist at Ipswich Hospital and on the East Anglian Air Ambulance
Bournemouth HospitalA&E Hospital
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“We’re delighted with the new helipad and yesterday we got to see it at its best – receiving a larger air ambulance than we would have been able to receive on our previous pad.
We’re grateful to the HELP Appeal for funding this facility. It’s going to make all the difference to patients coming into the Hospital via air, ensuring they receive the care they need as quickly as possible, both day and night.”
Richard Renaut, Chief Operating Officer at The Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
The new helipad at Bournemouth Hospital, which opened in August 2017, replaced the previous helipad which was in a very poor condition and unable to take the state-of-the -art new breed of larger air ambulance helicopters. Planning permission was granted for a new helipad including night time flights. The construction, which was completed in three months, included lighting to allow for emergency landings in the hours of darkness.
The HELP Appeal entirely funded the new helipad with a Grant of £119,000.
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Portree, Isle of Skye HospitalA&E Hospital
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Portree helipad has been officially re-opened on Skye following an extensive refurbishment programme, to provide a base for two rapid emergency response helicopters on the island to treat patients in urgent trauma cases thanks to the HELP Appeal.
The new helipad capability will save vital minutes when transferring trauma patients by air ambulance to hospital and the Scottish Ambulance Service believes it will ultimately save more lives.
The helipad will be used jointly by the Scottish Ambulance Service and the HMS Coastguard and will provide an important additional resource for the island.
“This new helipad will allow us to treat seriously injured patients more quickly in circumstances when every second counts, minimising the transfer time to hospital. It will make a huge difference to patients and ultimately save more lives.
“The upgrade work on the helipad in Portree is a fantastic addition to the emergency services provision in the Highlands and it is great to see it being opened.
“Having a number of appropriately equipped helipads across Scotland increases the ability of our skilled crews to get patients to the best treatment centre quickly and effectively.”
Andy Moir, Head of Air Ambulance Service, Scottish Ambulance Service
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Western Isles Hospital, StornowayA&E Hospital
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Faced with extreme weather conditions on a regular basis, never was a hospital helipad so deserving of an upgrade. The poor surface of the existing Air Ambulance landing area meant that wheeled stretchers risked getting stuck in the soft grass and vital time being lost when rushing critically ill patients to mainland hospitals.
The Help Appeal stepped forward to fully fund the complete works associated with bringing their helipad up to the desired standard.
The state-of-the-art upgrade has made a huge difference to seriously ill and trauma patients in one of the northernmost points of the country.
“I can only thank the HELP Appeal most sincerely for their kindness, for making themselves known to us and then funding the work in its entirety.
They had a no-nonsense, straightforward approach. They were very quick to make decisions, very prompt in their responses and very positive. All round, I found it a very positive and somewhat humbling experience and one for which I will always remain grateful. Looking back at the challenge with the helipad surface, the stretcher wheels would not traverse grass so this was a problem in terms of getting any patient on and off the helicopter and to the edge of the pad. Now the helicopter can land, open the door and out comes the stretcher. It may sound dramatic but every second counts, it really does, when a patient needs to be evacuated. The quicker the transition to and from the helicopter can be, it can give us vital minutes which are extremely important to patients in terms of eventual outcome.”
Gordon Jamieson, NHS Western Isles Chief Executive
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St. Mary’s Hospital, Newport, Isle of WightA&E Hospital
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A significant investment from the HELP Appeal enabled a helipad to be opened in 2013 and is now used by Air Ambulances and HM Coastguard.
Not being on the mainland presents more acute challenges for accident teams dealing with life threatening injuries. The absence of a Major Trauma Centre on the island, means that patients sometimes need to be taken to Southampton for more specialist treatment and the option of a time consuming transfer by road and ferry, is not viable. An Air Ambulance departing from the perfectly positioned helipad provides the safest, quickest and most comfortable option.
Also part of the package was our funding of a new, covered walkway, to protect patients and staff during inclement weather.
“This fantastic new development enables patients with life threatening injuries to be flown from the trauma unit at St. Mary’s to the Trauma Centre at University Hospital Southampton, or to other specialist centres. It will also enable St. Mary’s to receive, more directly, patients who require transfer by helicopter from incidents elsewhere on the Island. We’re very grateful to everyone who has been involved in its development and to the HELP Appeal for their funding.”
Karen Baker, Isle of Wight NHS Trust Chief Executive
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The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital, OswestrySpecialist Spinal Injuries Unit
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Located on the Shropshire and North Wales border, the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic and District Hospital NHS Trust serves a local population of 1.8 million, with a patient base that extends both nationally and internationally.
A specialist hospital with a worldwide reputation for innovation and research, the Trust provides particular expertise in dealing with serious spinal injuries. So it is vital that every aspect of the patient transfer process is in place to make the treatment as effective and comfortable as it can be.
In this case, a 100 metre, smooth, covered walkway which we funded now extends from the landing facility to the hospital entrance. The installation of purpose designed helipad lighting has facilitated patients being brought to the hospital at any time of the day or night.
All at the HELP Appeal recognised that all these elements were essential, especially for a spinal injuries unit, and funded the helipad base infrastructure in full.
”We are very grateful to the HELP Appeal for this much improved facility, which will be of great benefit to our patients. It will make transfers far more comfortable, which is particularly important for people with spinal injuries.”
Wendy Farrington Chadd, RJAH Trust Chief Executive
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Royal Shrewsbury Hospital & Princess Royal Hospital, TelfordA&E Hospital
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As part of the refurbishment of the helipad facility at both these hospitals, the HELP Appeal contributed in full to the installation of night lighting.
These important additions mean that flights after dark are now possible, allowing the safe transfer of critically ill patients, who need specialist care at a Major Trauma Centre if and when their condition deteriorates.
“We would like to thank the HELP Appeal for their tremendous support with the upgrade of our helipads at both the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford. The upgrade of both helipads has brought improved lighting and also allows larger helicopters to land.”
Chris Needham, Director of Estates and Facilities at The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust
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Gloucester Royal Hospital, GloucesterA&E Hospital
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Revised CAA rules, together with the building of a new multi-storey car park, meant that the existing helipad had to be de-commissioned. Extensive alterations were required to get it open and fully operational again.
Thanks to vital funding provided by the HELP Appeal, the necessary improvements were made and the helipad is now making a huge difference in helping to save lives across the county.
Seriously ill and injured patients in need of emergency treatment, can be transferred by Air Ambulance directly to the hospital helipad, which is on the doorstep of the Emergency Department. It also means that critical care transfers, where patients are moved from one hospital to another for specialist treatment, are made more quickly and more safely.
“We are delighted to see the re-opening of the helipad. Air Ambulances can be an effective way of getting faster access to hospitals and are enormously valuable in transferring patients from rural areas of the county or where road access is difficult. Helicopter transport enables the ill or injured to reach expert care in A&E sooner, giving them the best possible chance of surviving. We are grateful to the County Air Ambulance Trust for making the re-opening possible.”
Maggie Arnold, Emergency Care Programme Director
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Night Flying Landing Capabilities
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Air Ambulances are committed to getting the right resource to the right patient, in the right timeframe, every time.
However, this determination can often be limited by the lack of night flying capabilities.
For our part, the HELP Appeal is doing all it can to provide Major Trauma Centres and Accident & Emergency Hospitals with the necessary new or upgraded base infrastructure to enable night landing and so support the specialist skills of the pilots and clinical teams.
The installation of the latest lighting systems for example, mean that serious trauma incidents and patient transfers can be handled more speedily and safely during the hours of darkness.
We are now also involved in the provision of funding for lighting packages on secondary landing sites, in areas throughout the length and breadth of the country – another very real example of how the HELP Appeal is helping to saves lives.
“We are building upon the infrastructure with the support of the HELP Appeal to reach more patients, especially in rural areas where the speed of transport to specialist centres helps improve their outcomes. This can only be achieved if we improve our lit helipad network.”
Becky Tinsley, Air Operations Manager, Midlands Air Ambulance Charity
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Lesley Knight is a very special person and the face of the HELP AppealIn March 2008 Lesley lost her only child, a lovely boy called Thomas, after an accident in the road.
Tom was airlifted with his mother to Birmingham Children’s Hospital, where all possible efforts were made to save his life.
In a road ambulance the journey would have taken forty minutes. The Air Ambulance took just six minutes BUT had to land on the road rather than directly at the hospital.
Since that day, Lesley has been focusing her attention on raising funds for the HELP Appeal and has become the embodiment of what the charity stands for.
In 2018, Lesley won the Community Hero of the Year award at Woman and Home magazine’s #50over50 awards ceremony after its 285,000 readers learned of her huge dedication to the HELP Appeal. Woman and Home magazine said:
“Turning her grief into something positive, Lesley began fundraising for the HELP Appeal and has helped to raise hundreds of thousands of pounds.”
On the achievement that Lesley is most proud of, she said: “The building of so many helipads, meaning that through the loss of my son, many lives have been saved.”
Real Life Stories and the Difference We Made
52 Insight
Insight 53
“If the helipad had been anywhere other than just a short trolley dash to the emergency department, Amelia would not be here today. Saving time, saved her life.”
Jemma, mother to Amelia, who suffered a serious head trauma when she was just three years old.
“I find it astonishing that such a vital medical resource like a hospital helipad requires charitable funding. If there had been no helipad I wouldn’t have got the specialist care that I desperately needed immediately. It’s as simple as that.”
Jennifer, suffered life threatening injuries after a road accident but since her recovery has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro.
“Some people may feel indestructible but when you have a serious accident like I did, you realise you’re not. Any delay in treatment could have been detrimental to my health. The helipad ensured that I was delivered into the right hands promptly.”
Martin suffered multiple fractures to his spine and was in a coma for eight days. Now recovered, he’s living life to the full with wife Wendy.
“Ellena’s air ambulance couldn’t land at the hospital as there was no helipad, so she had to hover over a busy park that was full of families and wait for an area to clear before she could safely land and be rushed to A&E. It felt like forever. Despite this delay, Ellena survived. Others might not be so lucky.”
Genna, mother to Ellena who was only a few months old when she stopped breathing while on holiday. Thankfully she has completely recovered.
Impact Insight
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Since 2009 the HELP Appeal has instigated and driven a number of projects that are now helping to save lives and improve a patient’s chances of a full recovery. The scale and importance of what we have already done is evident ‘on the ground’, as is our ambition for future years - these numbers represent real and tangible help in action.
landings at Helipads funded by the HELP Appeal
landings since April 2014
over
11,0001,147
442019+
planned for
St. George’s London
over
new and upgraded helipads
15
10
new
helipads opened
helipad
upgrades undertaken
Insight 55
Activity InsightThe funding provided by the HELP Appeal is helping to save more lives at an increasing number of hospitals across the length and breadth of England and from 2015, Scotland as well.
The big difference we are making is borne out by the high levels of activity from Air Ambulances using the many new and upgraded helipads.
The key activity figures from just one Major Trauma Centre, shown on the page opposite, demonstrate in detail the big difference we are undoubtedly making.
The helipad at University Hospital, Southampton was opened with our support in November 2011 and since then, there have been a total of over 2,000 landings. The charts on the opposite page illustrate the detail of latest annual activity and demonstrate the value of such a facility to patients in that region.
“In the ‘Golden Hour’ after an accident or sudden illness, the difference is often a fast flying helicopter that reaches the ill or injured sooner and gets back to A&E quickly enough to give those in distress the best possible chance of surviving.”
Dr. Charles Deakin, Consultant at Southampton University Hospitals Trust and founder member of the
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance
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Hampshireand Isle of Wight Air
Ambulance
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0Coastguard Dorset and
SomersetAir
Ambulance
Kent, Surrey and Sussex
Air Ambulance
Thames Valley and Chiltern Air Ambulance
Police –Dorset
WiltshireAir
Ambulance
Devon Air
Ambulance Trust
London Air
Ambulance
Children’s Air
Ambulance
Police –Wiltshire
Royal AirForce
Army AirCorps
Royal Navy
0800
-…09
00-…
1000
-…11
00-…
1200
-…13
00-…
1400
-…15
00-…
1600
-…17
00-…
1800
-…19
00-…
2000
-…21
00-…
2200
-…23
00-…
2400
-…01
00-…
0200
-…03
00-…
0400
-…05
00-…
0600
-…07
00-…
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
1511
1719
31
23
30
20
27 27
15 1613
8 96 7 5 7
4
2 211
Monday
60
50
40
30
20
10
0Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
43 4539
32
52 53 52
Resus
Majors
Minors
Doctor
Pick
Up
Doctor
Drop Off
PAH
Patie
nt Tra
nsfer
(Out)
D Neu
roCDU
GICU
No Pati
ent D4 F6
Cath La
bAMU
Paed
/ PICU F7 ASU
Test L
andin
g
Not Rec
orded
NRTU
140
160
180
200
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
182
00 3 0 2 29 4 4 4
45
1 11 18 7 6 0
13
Activity by user of the helipad.
Landing times – The majority of flights are between the hours of 11.00 and 20.00. This is similar to the pattern for non-helicopter admissions.
Activity by day – Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays have seen the most flights in the year up until the end of November 2015.
Activity by patient destination – 182 out of 316 patients [57%] were sent to Resus.
Source: University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust Helipad Activity Summary – to end November 2015.
Insight 57
Funding Insight
For the past 10 years the HELP Appeal has been raising much needed funds to provide life-saving helipads where they are needed most. In that time, we have achieved a good record of growth and our plans for the future are even more ambitious – more funds to help save more lives.
We have identified a number of hospitals, both Major Trauma Centres and key A&E hospitals, where helipads or upgrades are needed over the next few years and where we have agreed to provide funding. Locations range right across the country from Brighton to Edinburgh and the timing of some are tied in to new hospital building programmes. We are the only charity providing funding for new and upgraded helipads and we are determined that with the support of the general public and businesses we will be in a position to meet the challenges ahead.
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Turnover – a record of growth Helipad Spend – how much we’ve contributed each year
2012
£7m
£8m
£6m
£5m
£4m
£3m
£2m
£1m
02013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
£9m
£2.54m
£4.01m
£5.72m
£7.3m£7.8m
£8.5m£8.0m
2012
£3.5m
£3m
£2.5m
£2m
£1.5m
£1m
£0.5m
02013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
£4m
£4.5m
£5m
£815k
£1.96m £2.08m
£3.0m
£3.7m
£5.0m
£4.1m
Figures for County Air Ambulance Trust
£48m £32m £71m10 years
2019 to 2022in
Over Over Over
2009 to 2018
value of helipad projects
andbuiltplanned
funds raised
projected funds to be raised
Insight 59
Future Insight
“I commend the HELP Appeal for working tirelessly to ensure as many hospitals in London and across the country have the funding they need to build such life-saving facilities.”
Boris Johnson, former Mayor of London
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Our ambition is to provide the most appropriate helipad at every Major Trauma Centre and key A&E Hospital in the country
To achieve this and to ensure that HELP will continue to be at hand, we have a set of very clear aims.
We want to build on our existing relationships with the NHS, CAAi and Air Ambulances. Just one example of this close collaboration approach, is our financing of Feasibility Studies to speed up the process of identifying what is possible and right for the needs of each individual hospital.
We will make this happen by working to increase people’s awareness of the HELP Appeal campaign across the country, so as to secure the income necessary to fund the valuable grants we provide.
We are looking at any developments that will enhance the base infrastructures we finance; initiatives such as implementing the installation of deck integrated fire-fighting systems, which could dramatically improve safety criteria and reduce the cost of hospitals having to provide the fire-trained personnel currently required.
All these commitments will ensure that those patients who sustain life-threatening injuries, can be flown directly by Air Ambulances to a hospital that has the specialist skills to deal with their particular condition and thereby significantly improve their chances of survival and recovery.
Our plans are ambitious but we are determined to achieve them for the sake of those lives that depend on us.
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County Air Ambulance Trust Insight
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The HELP Appeal is organised and coordinated by the County Air Ambulance Trust (CAAT), which also continues to offer financial support to Air Ambulances.
CAAT is a private company, limited by guarantee and registered with the Charity Commission. It has been helping to save lives, every day, since 1993 when it was formed to provide essential funding to keep the first air ambulance in the central region in service. The Trust was incorporated on 10th April 1995 and registered as a charity on 24th July 1996.
The principal aim is to generate income from fundraising activities to promote, develop and enhance support for the provision of Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) throughout the country. In this context, the Trust encourages the implementation of the very best clinical practices, as well as reviewing and considering future developments within HEMS systems, which will improve clinical outcomes for patients.
And a key part of the Trust’s existence is in working to ensure that Air Ambulances have somewhere safe and secure to land when they get to a hospital, through our HELP Appeal. We will continue the promotion of the campaign to help end preventable loss of life caused by secondary transfers, as well as leading the improvement in the availability of primary helicopter landing sites.
This pedigree, parentage and skill sets are evidence of our commitment to the HELP Appeal and its value to critically injured patients, past, present and future.
Registered Company number: 03044061
Registered Charity in England and Wales (1057063) and Scotland (SCO45963)
Principal Address & Registered Office: PO Box 999, Green Lane, Walsall WS2 7YX
Patron:
Catherine, Lady Forester DL
Life President:
Hugh Meynell MBE
Honorary Chairman:
Sir Algernon Heber-Percy KCVO
Vice Presidents:
The Countess of Aylesford
Lindsay Bury
Mrs. Vesey Holt
The Lord Stafford
John N Kirkland
The Lord Vestey
The Duke of Beaufort
Professor Sir Keith Porter
Martin Thompson
Robert Bentley FRCS(Eng)
Chairman of Trustees:
Michael Henriques
Deputy Chairman:
John Jones DL
Trustees:
Hugh Meynell MBE
Mrs. Michael Brinton DL
Paul Harris
Richard Everard, OBE, DL
Mrs. Nicholas Bishop
Dr. Shaukat Ali
Insight 63
HELP AppealP.O. Box 999, Walsall WS2 7YX T: 01922 618058 E: [email protected] W: www.helpappeal.org.uk
Registered Charity in England and Wales (1057063) and Scotland (SCO45963)
Supported by
TheInjured Jockeys
FundProfessional
Footballers Association
