09 May 2018
BRI helideck four years on
Today marks four years since the first
ever patient flight landed on the new helideck at the top of the
Bristol Royal Infirmary (BRI).
The 25x25 metre aluminium deck opened in May 2014, and directly
connects to the adult emergency department at the BRI, as well as
Bristol Royal Hospital for Children and the Bristol Heart
Institute.
The arrival of the helideck has transformed how quickly air
ambulance patients get to our hospitals and plays a key part in the
Trust's role as the Paediatric Major Trauma Centre for the South
West.
Previously, air ambulance crews had to land on The Downs where
the patient would then be transferred into a road ambulance before
reaching the hospital.
"The BRI helipad has had a huge impact on the speed of care we
are able to provide to patients with serious illness and injury,"
explained Professor Jonathan Benger, a consultant in emergency
medicine at UH Bristol. "It has provided a swift and efficient
route to life-saving treatments, particularly for seriously injured
children and adults with life-threatening heart disease."
The Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance was the first official
landing on 9 May 2014. Since then, over 450 patient flights have
landed at the BRI helideck.
All flights to and from the deck are overseen by the Helideck
Team which is made up of three full time members of staff and six
volunteers who also work in other departments across the Trust.
Their role is to ensure the safe landing of the helicopters,
providing fire cover and ensuring the Civil Aviation Regulations
are followed. They also assist in transferring patients to the
relevant clinical team once they have landed.
"It's a great team to be part of, and in my opinion the best in
the Trust!" said Andy Williams, deputy supervisor. "There's a lot
of camaraderie and the Trust owes a great deal of gratitude to the
volunteers on the team as they play a vital role in making sure the
helideck runs smoothly."
The installation of the £3 million helideck was partly made
possible thanks to a grant of £500,000 from the HELP Appeal
(Helicopter Emergency Landing Pads) Appeal).
Six air ambulance operators transferring seriously ill patients
from across the South West use the BRI helideck.
Picture: (L-R) Chris Mansfield, James Pope, Charmaine
Earlington, Tom Cook and Andy Williams.
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