Norfolk hospital given over £500k for new helipad by national charity
Money from 'The Help appeal' means that the new site will be up and running by the end of the year
A charity has given the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) over half a million pounds to pay for it's new helipad.
The money from 'The Help appeal' means that the new site will be up and running by the end of the year.
It will be located on the opposite side of the road along the B1145.
Bosses at the QEH say the replacement and relocation of the helipad is an "essential part of the journey towards a new hospital".
As the area of the current helipad will be used as part of the site for the new multi-storey car park.
The national HELP Appeal charity has funded 55 lifesaving hospital helipads around the country for over 15 years.
It has also made several donations to support the East Anglian Air Ambulance.
"Big step towards our New QEH"
Paul Brooks, Director of Estates and Facilities, explains: “Securing this funding is an exciting step forward for this project and it’s great to see the new site taking shape.
"We’d like to extend a big thank you to the HELP Appeal for their support and our colleagues in the air ambulance for their full backing. The new permanent relocation of our helipad is a big step towards our New QEH.
"We know the importance of this resource through working with the air ambulance – our central location in the eastern region means the current pad is well used by the ambulance service for operational reasons.
“Progressing plans for this relocation will mean we keep this valuable resource close by where it can continue to be used, as it is now, for patients being transferred to The QEH Emergency Department for further care after landing in an air ambulance".
"We are incredibly proud to be funding this project"
Robert Bertram, Chief Executive of the HELP Appeal visited the hospital to present a cheque for £516,000. He said:
“We are incredibly proud to be funding this project which is just one of seven helipads in the region the HELP Appeal has or is funding, plus our support for East Anglian Air Ambulance airbases.
The QEH helipad will play a vital role in saving lives by ensuring seriously ill patients can receive urgent care with minimal delay. None of this would be possible without the generosity of our supporters, so a huge thank you to them for helping us make a real difference.”