Crowds went wild as a helicopter made its first-ever touchdown on the long-delayed £14 million helipad at Royal Sussex County Hospital. The landmark landing, just after 5pm on Tuesday, February 24, marks a huge breakthrough after years of hold-ups stalled the project.
£14 Million Helipad Finally Takes Off
Built back in 2018 and originally set to open in 2019, the helipad’s debut was repeatedly pushed back thanks to technical glitches and red tape. Tuesday’s smooth test landing is a massive leap forward, bringing the facility closer to full operation.
Next Up: Emergency Simulations
Hospital chiefs warn the hard work isn’t over. They’re gearing up for intense emergency drills that will practise transferring critically ill patients from helicopter to hospital teams using dummies. These vital tests will ensure rapid, safe handovers when every second counts.
Dr Stephanie Tilston, Major Trauma Centre Clinical Lead, said: “Today’s successful test landings bring us a step closer to making the helipad operational, so we can care for patients with the most serious life-threatening injuries and illnesses even faster than we do now.
These initial landings let us test the helipad itself, aiming for Civil Aviation Authority sign-off. Next, we’ll focus on fine-tuning our emergency transfer processes — every second counts.”
