Funded entirely by a £250,000-donation from the HELP Appeal charity, the Ipswich Hospital helipad is equipped with lighting, which has enabled three air ambulances to land during hours of darkness – enabling patients in urgent need of care to be quickly transferred to the hospital 24/7.

“Over the past year, critically ill patients have no longer had to make a lengthy journey to access the expert treatment they need immediately. Saving time, saves lives. That’s why we fund as many hospital helipads as we can,” said Robert Bertram, Chief Executive of the HELP Appeal.

And Dr Neil Berry, Consultant Anaesthetist at Ipswich Hospital and East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA) added that the installation of the 24-hour helipad has effected a huge step forward for the region; previously, Ipswich Hospital’s HEMS would have to land on the neighbouring Copleston High School field, and as such, it would take between 15 and 20 minutes for personnel to transport patients to the hospital’s Emergency Department from the field.

“When we need to get a critically ill patient to hospital, every second counts. This new facility is making a huge difference to patient’s lives and EAAA and hospital staff were privileged to be asked to officially open the helipad last year,” noted Dr Berry. “As we look to increase our service in 2020 to fly 24/7 across the region, we expect that we will make use of this helipad even more than we already do.”