Plans to upgrade the helipad at Basildon Hospital have been approved, paving the way for improved care for heart patients requiring emergency treatment.
Basildon Hospital is home to the region’s major cardiothoracic centre. As a result, patients experiencing cardiac arrest make up a large proportion of those flown to the hospital.
Enhancing the helipad is essential to ensure this life-saving service can transport even more patients to the hospital as quickly as possible.
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.”
The planning approval clears the way for a fully night-flight capable landing site, improving both safety and access for patients being airlifted to the hospital.
Funded entirely by the HELP Appeal, the project will see the existing unlit tarmac helipad replaced with a modern facility equipped with pilot-controlled lighting.
The improvements will allow Essex & Herts Air Ambulance to continue its own flight operations until 8pm, with the new lighting enabling crews to land and take off safely later into the afternoon and evening during the darker winter months, when reduced daylight can otherwise limit operations.
A start date for the work has not yet been confirmed, but once underway 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.”
