HELP Appeal, June 30, 2019 - St Mary’s Hospital’s helipad has seen a total of 897 landings by the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance, Coastguard Rescue Helicopter and other life-saving services in six years.
The helipad was officially launched in 2013 by HRH Duke of Kent and cost £1.45million to build. The HELP Appeal, which is the only charity in the country dedicated to funding hospital helipads, contributed £250,000.
The 24-hour helipad currently enables patients who have been rescued by the Coastguard helicopter to be flown directly to the Island’s only hospital. It also allows patients with critical injuries and conditions to be flown directly from St Mary’s to mainland hospitals such as University Southampton Hospital, Queen Alexandra Hospital and even as far afield as London.
One such patient was Carol Hider who had to be airlifted from St Mary’s Hospital’s helipad to Southampton Hospital helipad for an emergency brain operation. She says:
“If there had been no helipads, I dread to think how much longer my journey might have taken and potentially how much bumpier the ride would have been, if I’d had to finish the journey in a road ambulance.
“Thanks to the HELP Appeal, I had two helipads available, which helped me to access emergency treatment quickly and saved my life.”
Robert Bertram, Chief Executive of the HELP Appeal said: “Stories such as Carol’s bring home the importance of the work of the HELP Appeal. But there is so much work to do across the country. By donating you can help us to build the next hospital helipad near you.”
The helipad was officially launched in 2013 by HRH Duke of Kent and cost £1.45million to build. The HELP Appeal, which is the only charity in the country dedicated to funding hospital helipads, contributed £250,000.
The 24-hour helipad currently enables patients who have been rescued by the Coastguard helicopter to be flown directly to the Island’s only hospital. It also allows patients with critical injuries and conditions to be flown directly from St Mary’s to mainland hospitals such as University Southampton Hospital, Queen Alexandra Hospital and even as far afield as London.
One such patient was Carol Hider who had to be airlifted from St Mary’s Hospital’s helipad to Southampton Hospital helipad for an emergency brain operation. She says:
“If there had been no helipads, I dread to think how much longer my journey might have taken and potentially how much bumpier the ride would have been, if I’d had to finish the journey in a road ambulance.
“Thanks to the HELP Appeal, I had two helipads available, which helped me to access emergency treatment quickly and saved my life.”
Robert Bertram, Chief Executive of the HELP Appeal said: “Stories such as Carol’s bring home the importance of the work of the HELP Appeal. But there is so much work to do across the country. By donating you can help us to build the next hospital helipad near you.”
St Marys Hospital See also |
HELP Appeal HIOWAA
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance UK Air Ambulances Solent District HM Coastguard Her Majesty’s Coastguard 
