Hospital helipad open at last after 7-year delay

A helipad at a Brighton hospital has been declared fully operational after seven years of delays.

Royal Sussex County Hospital, which is the region's major trauma centre, said its £15.5m platform was ready to receive airlifted patients after final tests were completed.

Air ambulances previously had to land in East Brighton Park and complete the journey by road.

University Hospitals Sussex chief executive Dr Andy Heeps said that "reaching this point has been both complex and challenging" but marked "a proud moment for all of us".

Teams from across the NHS trust, its external partners and charities had come together to "overcome the challenges associated with making the helipad safe and effective", he said.

The platform had been scheduled to open in 2019 but suffered multiple delays, including Covid-19 related hold-ups.

The scheme was further delayed after surveys found aircraft could damage the Thomas Kemp Tower it sits on.

The BBC later uncovered concerns that landing helicopters risked blowing panels off the side of the hospital building.

Dr Duncan Bootland, from Air Ambulance Kent Surrey Sussex, said the platform "represents an important step forward".

"In emergency medicine every second counts and being able to bring patients directly into the hospital will make a meaningful difference to their chances of survival and recovery," he said.

A £1.9m donation from the HELP Appeal charity - which contributes to helipads across the UK - helped provide a "state-of-the-art" fire fighting system.

HELP Appeal chief executive Robert Bertram said the Brighton helipad would "make a lifesaving difference" for patients and turned "vital minutes saved into better chances of survival".

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