Helicopter available for mainland healthcare travel

Penzance Helicopters already runs a helicopter passenger service between the Isles of Scilly and the mainland

Isles of Scilly residents travelling for healthcare on the mainland can now be transported via helicopter.

In response to feedback from islanders, NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Board (ICB) has commissioned Penzance Helicopters for the transport of patients, alongside Skybus and the Scillonian Ferry.

Susan Bracefield, acting chief executive of the ICB, said it would make journeys "simpler, more reliable, and less disruptive" for those who needed to attend hospital appointments.

The ICB said the central booking office would continue to manage all patient travel arrangements, selecting the most appropriate option based on individual circumstances.

Robert Francis, chairman of the Council of the Isles of Scilly, said the addition would help to deliver "a more robust service" and would "reduce worry" for those living on the islands.

Catherine Fuller, of Healthwatch Isles of Scilly, said: "We are so pleased to hear that the voices of our local community have been heard, and access to medical services on the mainland will now be even more accessible and reliable to those most in need.

"We would like to thank all services involved in making this happen."