Hospital helipad expected to open seven years late

The £14m platform at the Royal Sussex County Hospital was originally meant to open in June 2019

The helipad of a hospital in Brighton is expected to become operational in 2026, nearly seven years late.

The £14m platform at the Royal Sussex County Hospital was originally meant to open in June 2019, but has been delayed repeatedly.

In January 2023 the BBC revealed helicopters landing had the potential to blow cladding off the walls of the hospital.

A University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust spokesperson said the helipad would open next year "subject to minor remedial works and final regulatory approvals".

Patients with life-threatening conditions or injuries have "significantly" better outcomes if brought to hospital by air ambulance

The helipad is on top of a 15-storey tower directly above The Trevor Mann Baby Unit.

Patients with life-threatening conditions or injuries have "significantly" better outcomes if brought to hospital by air ambulance.

The trust said that once in service, the helipad would "allow critically ill patients - particularly those experiencing trauma, cardiac arrest, or stroke - to be flown directly to hospital care".

"This will significantly reduce response times and improve outcomes for patients across Sussex and beyond," added the spokesperson.

When it is operating, 150 patients a year could arrive by air ambulance at the hospital's A&E department.

Airlifted patients currently land in nearby East Brighton Park, and travel to hospital by ambulance.

Previously the trust had said 125-145 patients a year might arrive via the new helipad, once it is operational.

The landing pad is expected to cost the trust in excess of £452,000 a year to operate.

When it is operating, 150 patients a year could arrive by air ambulance at the hospital's A&E department

In 2019, an appeal raised £1.65m to help build the helipad, believing it would save time in transferring seriously ill patients to the hospital's emergency department.

A spokesperson for the Helicopter Emergency Landing Pads appeal said: "We are aware of the delay, but safety is the top priority, so the helipad is currently being upgraded to meet the Civil Aviation Authority's guidelines and is fit for purpose before becoming operational.

"We're very much looking forward to its opening."