A national charity is going to pay for a replacement helipad for West Norfolk patients who need the most immediate treatment.
The HELP Appeal is donating the entire £516,000 cost of the facility for the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn.
It is the only charity in the country dedicated to funding NHS hospital helipads and is giving all the money for it, which will be opposite the QEH on the B1145.
If all goes well with the construction, it should be ready to use by the end of the year.
This is a key part of plans for a new hospital as part of the current helipad will be the stie of a new multi storey car park, which hospital bosses say is a key part of the process towards getting the new QEH.
Paul Brooks, Director of Estates and Facilities, explains: “Securing this funding is an exciting step forward for this project and it’s great to see the new site taking shape. We’d like to extend a big thank you to the HELP Appeal for their support and our colleagues in the air ambulance for their full backing. The new permanent relocation of our helipad is a big step towards our New QEH. We know the importance of this resource through working with the air ambulance – our central location in the eastern region means the current pad is well used by the ambulance service for operational reasons.
“Progressing plans for this relocation will mean we keep this valuable resource close by where it can continue to be used, as it is now, for patients being transferred to The QEH Emergency Department for further care after landing in an air ambulance.”
The national HELP Appeal charity has funded 55 lifesaving hospital helipads around the country for over 15 years. Of these, 32 have been brand new helipads, which have seen over 30,000 landings. It has also made several donations to support the East Anglian Air Ambulance.
Robert Bertram, Chief Executive of the HELP Appeal, said: “We are incredibly proud to be funding this project which is just one of seven helipads in the region the HELP Appeal has or is funding, plus our support for East Anglian Air Ambulance airbases. The QEH helipad will play a vital role in saving lives by ensuring seriously ill patients can receive urgent care with minimal delay. None of this would be possible without the generosity of our supporters, so a huge thank you to them for helping us make a real difference.”
