Work is underway to create a new helipad as part of the hospital's new emergency department and critical care unit in Dorchester.
Dorset County Hospital (DCH) received a £2 million grant from the County Air Ambulance HELP Appeal, to fund a new rooftop helipad which will allow a patient to be transferred quickly and comfortably via a lift directly into the hospital, maintaining their privacy and dignity.
The HELP appeal also donated an additional £13,500 towards new lighting at the temporary site which will make it easier for pilots to identify the landing site and arrive and depart safely.
The new facility will replace the old landing pad which was based at ground-level next to the current emergency department.
Work is currently underway and due to be completed in 2027.
DCH is currently using the helipad at the Army Reserve Centre on Poundbury Road, just three minutes away, which has a large field with easy access for crews to transfer patients to an ambulance and be taken to the hospital.
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Construction of the new emergency department and critical care unit is part of the government’s Hospital Programme.
New facilities will include a rooftop helipad, purpose-built spaces for both major and minor injuries and conditions, a mental health facility, a dedicated emergency paediatrics area, 24 critical care beds, and an ambulance arrivals and fast assessment area.
Plans were given the green light by local planners in October 2023 after the hospital trust submitted its reserved matters application to Dorset Council last summer.
The unit is being built where the former Damers First School building used to stand. It was demolished last summer to prepare the site for development.
A spokesperson from DCH said “We are incredibly grateful to the HELP Appeal for their generous support by funding a new helipad to be built as part of the construction of our brand-new Emergency Department and Critical Care Unit.
"We’re fortunate to have a helipad – it allows us to provide crucial critical care quickly and ultimately helps saves lives. The new helipad will be a huge benefit to our patients, staff, and air ambulance crews.”
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