New Helipad at Royal Victoria Hospital has first test landing

The new Helipad at the Royal Victoria Hospital officially opened this morning with a test landing.

Following a short period of testing and crew familiarisation throughout the week, patients will be taken, by the HEMS, directly to the Helipad on the Critical Care Building on the RVH site.

Patients are currently taken to the helicopter landing site at Musgrave Park Hospital before being transferred to RVH by ambulance.

The direct landing site will reduce patient travelling time by approximately 25 minutes. Once the patient is ready to be transferred from the air ambulance, he/she can be in the Emergency Department in just over two minutes.

Health Minister, Robin Swann said: “This is a momentous day for patients in Northern Ireland and it has been a privilege to witness the first test flight landing of the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) this morning.

"HEMS greatly benefits people with life-changing injuries, whose lives are at risk following significant trauma, by bringing skilled clinicians to the scene to deliver advanced critical care and rapidly transporting the patient to the regional trauma centre for ongoing emergency care.

“My Department continues to provide significant recurrent funding of approximately £1 million each year to enable the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service to cover the medical aspects of the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service, including staff, training and equipment. And I am committed to the partnership-funding relationship with Air Ambulance Northern Ireland, who raise charity funds, including public donations, to sustain the aviation side.”

Clinical lead Darren Monaghan, pilot Rich Steele and operational lead Glenn ORorke of the Northern Ireland Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) on the helipad at the Royal Victoria Hospital in West Belfast, where the first test landing of an air ambulance helicopter took place on Tuesday (Liam McBurney/PA Wire)

NIAS Chief Executive, Michael Bloomfield, welcomed the opening of the helipad saying; “The commissioning of the new helipad represents another step forward in trauma care for the population of Northern Ireland.

"By landing on this pad we will be able to further reduce the journey time for these patents by around 25 minutes by avoiding the need for a secondary transfer by road ambulance. I commend the work of all involved in this project which will, undoubtedly save lives.”