Southampton's hospital helipad will be a lifesaver (From Daily Echo)

Southampton's hospital helipad will be a lifesaver

12:10pm Wednesday 1st September 2010 in

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THE lives of critically ill patients are more likely to be saved after plans for an emergency helipad at Southampton’s main hospital were approved by city councillors last night.

Millions of people in the region could benefit from the £1.2m landing deck to be built on the roof of a multi-storey car park in the north-west corner of the Southampton General Hospital campus.

It will slash up to half an hour off the time it currently takes to transfer critically ill patients by ambulance from helicopters that touch down on a council playing field two miles away in Lordshill.

Patients will instead be pushed on a trolley down a ramp from the car park roof straight through the doors of A&E.

The helipad will be used by air ambulances, police, the Coastguard and the Army.

Noise nuisance Only two objections were made by neighbouring residents after 360 homes were leafleted about the plan. They were concerned about the noise and downdraft from helicopters.

Planners admitted nearby residents would hear the helicopters land and take off but said the limited use would not amount to a noise nuisance.

Helicopter expert Peter Rover told the city council’s planning panel the noise of the helicopter would only be heard for about a minute on take-offs and landings. He added that the downdraft would have a radius of up to 30m around the helipad, which would not affect nearby homes.

Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust (SUHT) agreed it would only be used for emergencies with around five landings a week expected – mostly during the day. They predict that the Coastguard would also use the site a maximum of three times a month to transfer people they had rescued.

Planners said hospital bosses would be subject to legal action if the helipad was used to fly in visiting royalty, political leaders, rich patients or other VIPs. SUHT director of major trauma Dr Andy Eynon said he was thrilled the plans had passed.

He said: “It’s long overdue. The outcomes of critical patients are judged by minutes. This could mean the difference between whether they survive or not.”

The helicopter landing site, close to Tremona Road, will be built on a raised level around three metres above the car park, and will be surrounding by netting. Eight car park spaces will be lost.

Floodlights will be put up so that pilots can safely see where they are landing in dark or poor visibility. However, the lights will only be on when the pad is being used.

The new helipad will be the realisation of a dream for bosses behind the air ambulance scheme who say the city is currently the only place in the county without the facility to land a helicopter at a hospital.

Councillors unanimously granted planning permission.

Former city mayor Cllr John Slade said: “People will put up with a little inconvenience because at the end of the day you are saving lives.”