The Helipad at QA

Queen Alexandra Hospital has the advantage of a helipad, which is situated on top of the Pathology building. 

This means patients are able to be airlifted to hospital for quicker treatment and transported to other hospitals if they need emergency specialist treatment at another site.

The helipad was built as part of the first phase of the redevelopment of Queen Alexandra Hospital and was completed in 2007.

This facility is supported by a team consisting of 15 members, who provide the required fire cover for each movement along with a complete fire suppression system designed to deal with any given situation.

The Helipad at QA

It is used by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance, West Sussex Police Air Division and Solent Coastguard.

Air ambulances are called to a range of emergencies ranging from road traffic collisions to heart attacks.

Planning permission granted by Portsmouth City Council for the helipad dictates a maximum of 260 movements upon the helipad within a six-month period. A movement is defined as either a landing or take off meaning we have the capacity to utilise the helipad for 130 patients within any six month period (260 movements).

Hampshire Air Ambulance on the Helipad at QA

Changes to flight restrictions

Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust is delighted to announce that its planning application to vary the flight restrictions on the helipad at Queen Alexandra Hospital has been approved.

The Trust sought permission from Portsmouth City Council to vary the flight restrictions on the helipad to meet the changing, and future, health needs of patients in Portsmouth and the surrounding areas.

On Wednesday 14 September 2011 the council’s planning committee granted permission for the helipad to allow urgent patients to arrive by helicopter between the hours of 6pm and 10pm, and for the allowance of night time arrivals when it is an emergency.

Richard Jones, Chief of Medicine, said “We are delighted with the city council’s decision today. The main reason for opening the helipad at night is to get major heart attack patients to the cardiac unit as quickly as possible to receive angioplasty treatment. By allowing us to change the landing restrictions on the helipad at Queen Alexandra Hospital more people will have access to our services and we will be able to save more lives.”

Previous planning permission for use of the helipad was between 8am and 6pm, or from dawn to dusk, whichever is the shorter.