Dorset County Hospital’s new helipad a step closer thanks to HELP Appeal

Dorset County Hospital (DCH) has received the final instalment of a £2million donation from the HELP Appeal for a new rooftop helipad.

The Trust is building a brand-new Emergency Department and Critical Care Unit on the former Damers School site as part of the Government’s New Hospital Programme.

A state-of-the-art helipad will be added on the roof of the new building courtesy of the HELP Appeal – the only charity in the country that funds NHS hospital helipads.

The new helipad will allow a patient to be transferred quickly and comfortably via a lift directly into the hospital, maintaining their privacy and dignity.

Robert Bertram, Chief Executive of the HELP Appeal, presented the fourth and final £500,000 instalment to DCH staff, ahead of construction of the new helipad beginning next year.

Anita Thomas, Dorset County Hospital’s Chief Operating Officer, said: “We are incredibly grateful to the HELP Appeal and their supporters for funding a rooftop helipad on our new Emergency Department and Critical Care Unit.

“These departments care for some of the sickest and most seriously injured patients and the new helipad will help us provide timely urgent care to people for many years to come.”

The HELP Appeal has funded 55 life-saving helipads at Major Trauma Centres and A&E hospitals around the country. Of these 32 were brand new, which have now seen over 29,000 landings.

Robert Bertram, Chief Executive of the HELP Appeal added: “This state-of-the-art, rooftop helipad means air ambulances will land just moments from the new Emergency Department, giving critically ill patients instant access to lifesaving care.

“We’re proud to have donated £2 million – only made possible by our incredible supporters – towards vital infrastructure that will help to save many lives.

“While construction of the new building is underway, the old helipad has been decommissioned, and a temporary landing site is being used at the nearby Army Reserve Centre, which has also been funded by the HELP Appeal.”