This week marks three years since HRH The Princess Royal officially opened Maidstone Hospital’s helipad. Since then, it has seen 116 landings from a range of Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) including Air Ambulance Kent Surrey and Sussex and the Children’s Air Ambulance.

The helipad was made possible after the HELP Appeal – the only charity in the country dedicated to funding hospital helipads – contributed the entire cost of £300,000. The all-weather helipad, replaced a temporary site for landings, which was frequently water-logged.

The funding also covered new lighting, which has enabled air ambulances to land during darkness hours since December 2019 and therefore increased the number of patients who have immediate access to the Emergency Department.

Robert Bertram, Chief Executive of the HELP Appeal adds:

“The HELP Appeal is focused on ensuring that every hospital that needs a helipad can have one thanks to our donations, and Kent hospitals are no exception. In addition to Maidstone Hospital’s helipad which has been used so frequently over the last three years to ensure critically ill patients get the treatment they urgently need immediately after landing; we are also committed to helping to fund improvements at helipads at the Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital, Margate; Darent Valley Hospital, Dartford and Medway Maritime Hospital, Gillingham. Having helipads at all of these hospitals will rapidly increase access to emergency care for patients across the county and beyond.”