Southampton’S brand new £1.2m hospital helipad should finally have lift-off today.

As revealed in the Daily Echo last week, plans for the test flight to check safety at the new facility stalled at the 11th hour after staff claimed they hadn’t been given enough additional training, and complained at not getting more pay for taking on extra responsibilities.

Union leaders had claimed porters were concerned about their safety and that of patients they will be taking to and from the emergency landing site, which has been added to the top of a car park.

Casualties will be taken from the helipad down a ramp and into the Emergency Department.

Hospital and union chiefs had been locked in talks in a bid to break the deadlock, but last night neither Unite the Union or Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust were available to comment on whether a deal had been struck, or the terms of any compromise.

The test flight was last night rescheduled to take place at 2.30pm today.

If it proves successful, the helipad, which has been built after years of fundraising, will be ready to receive flights from the air ambulance at any time of night or day.