A newly built elevated helicopter pad will open for patients for the first time in Manchester City Centre.
The helipad is the first of its kind in the North West and will be used to transport patients straight to hospitals across the city, estimated to support 300 patients this year.
Located on top of the Grafton Street car park, on the Oxford Road Campus, the new helipad is expected to serve the two trauma centres located in the city centre; Manchester Royal Infirmary is the trauma centre for adults with life-threatening injury while the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital operates as the trauma centre for children and teenagers with serious injuries.
The helipad was funded in part by donations, and was backed by the trust’s fundraising arm, Manchester Foundation Trust Charity.
Alistair Rennie, Consultant in Emergency Medicine and Major Trauma at the MRI and RMCH and Group Clinical Lead for Emergency Planning, commented: “The helipad will benefit major trauma patients across Greater Manchester and beyond, including people who have suffered serious injuries in road traffic accidents, assaults, sudden illnesses or falls in areas difficult to reach by road ambulances.
“As a consultant in Emergency Medicine, we know the quality and speed of specialist medical care following a major trauma injury is vital to ensuring patients have the best chance of a full recovery. In these situations, patients need to be transferred to a Major Trauma Centre, which we have on site here at the MRI (Adults) and RMCH (Children’s).
“I am delighted that this development is now a reality at MFT’s Oxford Road Campus, as for many patients our helipad could represent the difference between life and death.”
In conjunction with the new helipad a short film has been released to share the impact of the news and what it means to the staff who work for the Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, watch the film here.
