Basildon Hospital helipad upgrade to take flight

Plans to upgrade the helipad at Basildon Hospital has been given the green light, meaning better care for heart patients who need emergency support.

Basildon Hospital is the second busiest hospital that Essex & Herts Air Ambulance serves and home to the region’s major cardiothoracic centre, meaning cardiac arrest cases make up a significant proportion of the patients flown there.

Improving the helipad is vital to ensure this life-saving service can help more patients get to the hospital rapidly.

Maimuna Mushabe, Chief Executive for Basildon Hospital, said: “This upgrade will make the area safer, Civil Aviation Authority compliant and will mean a smoother service for heart patients who need to come to the world-renowned Essex Cardiothoracic Centre by air ambulance. It’s already being used by these patients, so the changes will help improve that service for patients, air and ground crews alike.”

This planning approval paves the way for a fully night-flight capable landing site that will improve safety and access for patients airlifted to the hospital.

The upgrade, fully funded by the HELP Appeal charity on behalf of Essex & Herts Air Ambulance, will replace the current unlit tarmac helipad with a modern site fitted with pilot-controlled lights.

It means Essex & Herts Air Ambulance’s own flight operations will be able to run until 8pm, with lighting ensuring crews can continue landing and lifting safely later into the afternoon and evening during the darker winter months, when fading light might otherwise have prevented this.

The start date for work has yet to be confirmed, but once it does it is expected to take around six months to complete.

Scott McIlwaine, Head of Aviation and Operations at Essex & Herts Air Ambulance, said: “We are delighted at this news as Basildon Hospital plays a vital role in supporting Essex & Herts Air Ambulance, particularly as the region’s major cardiothoracic centre. Cardiac arrest cases account for a significant proportion of our missions.

“The planned helipad improvements will make landings safer for our crews and help us get patients to Basildon more quickly, including later in the afternoon and evening during winter when fading light can otherwise prevent flights. This is an important step in ensuring we can continue getting the region’s sickest patients to the specialist hospital care they need, whenever they need us.”

Robert Bertram, Chief Executive of the HELP Appeal, said: “This planning approval is a significant milestone for Basildon Hospital and, most importantly, for the patients whose lives depend on rapid access to specialist emergency care. By fully funding this brand new helipad, the HELP Appeal is helping to ensure air ambulances can land safely both day and night, giving critically ill patients faster access to the expert treatment they need. We are proud to fund a project that will strengthen emergency care across the region and help save more lives.”

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