Over 2,2550 Landings at Southmead Hospital

HELP Appeal, March 28, 2024 - Thanks to a £250,000 donation from the HELP Appeal, Southmead Hospital helipad in Bristol, became operational ten years’ ago. Since then, it has seen 2,255 landings.

The HELP Appeal contributed over half the entire cost for the development of the £450,000 ground level helipad, which plays an essential time saving role in the hospital’s excellent trauma care. Since its construction, there has been an average of nearly five landings every week, including from Great Western Air Ambulance, giving patients immediate access to specialist treatment, which can dramatically improve their outcome.

Before the helipad was built air ambulances had to land on a village green with a secondary transfer required to hospital.

Robert Bertram, Chief Executive of the HELP Appeal says: “Hospital helipads enable the rapid transportation of critically ill or injured patients to the Emergency Department. This can be crucial in critical situations where time is of the essence, such as in cases of trauma, heart attacks or strokes. The number of landings at Southmead confirms how vital a purpose-built helipad is in emergency care.”