New helipad ‘will help save lives’ in Cornwall
It was announced in September that Derriford Hospital, a major trauma centre in Cornwall, UK, has secured £1.7 million in funding for a new purpose-built helipad.
It was announced in September that Derriford Hospital, a major trauma centre in Cornwall, UK, has secured £1.7 million in funding for a new purpose-built helipad, set for full operational readiness by summer next year. It has taken several years and extensive co-operation between the hospital trust and other stakeholders such as Devon Air Ambulance, Cornwall Air Ambulance and the national HELP appeal.
Cornwall Air Ambulance’s chief executive, Paula Martin, said that ‘this is great news for Cornish patients who need to be flown to the region’s major trauma centre’. “For these patients,” she continued, “seconds really do count. For much of Cornwall, the only way to get a patient to Derriford quickly is by helicopter and so proper landing facilities are essential. The new helipad will safeguard our ability to get our patients to the Major Trauma Centre fast, no matter whether that is during the day or after dark.”
Various representatives of the parties involved took the proposal before members of parliament (MPs) back in June, at the Association of Air Ambulance’s All Party Parliamentary Group Reception, where there was widespread support for the campaign. “We are immensely grateful for the support this appeal received from our local [Cornish] MPs, the media and the public,” added Paula Martin, “and want to congratulate Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust on getting this campaign to the point where work can now begin within weeks. With the excellent helipad facilities at Treliske and spades about to hit the ground on the new Derriford Helipad, Cornish patients will soon have access to the best network of hospital helipads in the country.”