HELP Appeal funds upgrade to Glasgow hospital helipad

The helipad on the roof of Glasgow’s Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) accepts some of the sickest and most seriously injured patients from around Scotland, so they can receive care from the range of highly specialized teams based on the QEUH campus.

Last week, members of National Health Service Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) staff joined Simon Jones, Helipad Technical Lead of the HELP Appeal, on the helipad to see the completed work and to formally accept the charity’s funding for the project.

The work, which took place this autumn, involved the installation of a new high-friction surface on the helipad, so it can be used safely in all but the very worst weather.

At the same time, the opportunity was taken to change the hospital name identifier from NSGH (New South Glasgow Hospital) to QEUH.

In the new year, NHSGGC will carry out a second phase of the work, where additional high-quality lighting will be added to ensure even greater visibility for helicopter crews as they come into land. The HELP Appeal’s funding will also cover the cost of this.

During the upgrade, incoming helicopters were redirected to land at Glasgow Airport, meaning that the care provided by the hospital, and the Major Trauma Centre in particular, were not significantly affected by the work.

Earlier this year a HELP Appeal-funded helipad opened on the Isle of Mull.