The new Kings College Helipad became operational this morning and I was delighted to attend the launch alongside Mr Robert Bentley, Clinical Director for Emergency & Trauma Surgery and Dr Malcolm Tunnicliff, Clinical Director for Emergency Medicine and senior medical and Air Ambulance staff. 

Kings is home to the largest Major Trauma Centre in the south of England and is the hub for South East London, Kent and Medway major trauma network, providing specialist emergency cover for 4.5 million people.
 
Air ambulances previously had to land in Ruskin Park and patients were then being transferred by road ambulance. Having a helipad on the Kings College Hospital site means patients will go from being transferred in up to 25 minutes to around five minutes. 

Construction of the Kings College Hospital helipad on the roof of the Ruskin Wing took some some time and completion has been made possible through a number of funding initiatives. Including a multi-million pound donation of £2.75m from the County Air Ambulance HELP Appeal, the Trust’s own funds and a dedicated fundraising appeal, Time is Life which raised £500,000. The Time is Life fundraising video can be found on YouTube.