Addenbrooke's Hospital's destroyed helipad site back in use
- Published
Addenbrooke's Hospital helipad destroyed by departing aircraft
Air ambulances are able to land again at an NHS hospital that had its helipad destroyed by the draught of a departing military aircraft.
The landing site at Addenbrooke's in Cambridge was damaged as a USAF CV22 Osprey took off on Wednesday while carrying out medical transfer training.
Air ambulances had to be temporarily diverted to Cambridge City Airport.
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust confirmed they could now land again "close to the usual" site.
After the structure was thrown into the air by the aircraft, air ambulances would land at the airport where patients could be transferred to road ambulances for the three-mile (4.8km) journey to the hospital with critical care staff on board.
The helipad site has since been cleared of debris and safety checks were carried out, meaning aircraft could now land on nearby area of grass.
The surface of the helipad is due to be replaced.
The Osprey was based at RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk and a US Air Force post on Facebook, external ahead of the flight on Wednesday said: "Do not be concerned as training is conducted today".
Allow Facebook content?
This article contains content provided by Facebook. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Meta’s Facebook cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, external, Instagram, external and Twitter, external. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk, external
- Published22 April 2021
