Luton & Dunstable hospital pauses £5m helipad project

The trust said it "would not have been appropriate to continue with the fundraising appeal"

A multi-million pound helipad project has been paused because the preferred location has been deemed unsuitable.

A helicopter was to be linked to the Luton and Dunstable Hospital's emergency and critical care services, with the help of public fundraising.

The HELP Appeal, a charity dedicated to funding hospital helipads, donated £2.5m towards a £5m target.

The trust said donations to the project have been reallocated to other projects such as robotic surgery.

Plans would have seen the ward block at the back of the hospital's Emergency Department connected to a helipad via a dedicated lift shaft.

David Carter, chief executive officer at Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said it had become apparent it was "not a practical location".

He said: "The original location could no longer be relied upon without strengthening work, requiring a full decant of the existing wards."

The helipad scheme was originally launched in 2016.

Mr Carter said while it is still an ambition of the trust to have a helipad, it was "not a feasible option at this present time".

A spokesperson for the HELP appeal said it had agreed the donation could be redirected to "other lifesaving projects" and pledged to find replacement funding when the hospital could identify a new helipad location.