Hospitals: Air Ambulance Services
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing legislative safeguards to protect hospital helipads from closure.
Answered by Karin Smyth
Hospital helipads play an important role in supporting the transfer of critically ill patients and access to specialist services. Responsibility for the provision and management of hospital helipads rests with local National Health Service organisations, working with relevant planning, aviation, and local authority bodies.
The Government recognises the importance of ensuring that hospital helipad facilities remain safe and operational. Existing planning and aviation guidance already includes mechanisms to safeguard helicopter landing sites from developments that could adversely affect their operation.
The Department continues to work with NHS England, the Civil Aviation Authority, and other partners to consider issues relating to hospital helipad access and resilience. While there are currently no plans to introduce specific legislative safeguards to protect hospital helipads from closure, the Government will keep this position under review in light of emerging evidence and operational requirements.
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