North West Air Ambulance: Charity backs national call for 24/7 operational hospital helipads

The North West Air Ambulance Charity (NWAA) is supporting a major national campaign calling for all Major Trauma Centres and specialist hospitals to have safeguarded 24/7 on-site helipad access, ensuring patients can reach lifesaving treatment without delay.

The campaign, launched by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Air Ambulances, highlights a significant gap in NHS infrastructure. Research shows that over half of Major Trauma Centres, Children’s and specialist hospitals across the UK cannot consistently support full 24/7 on-site helipad access.

For patients in the North West, this can mean that even after receiving advanced treatment at the scene, they cannot be taken straight into hospital. Instead, air ambulances may have to land nearby, with patients transferred by road, which can delay vital care.

Andy Curran, Medical Director at the North West Air Ambulance Charity, said: “When someone is critically ill or injured, every minute matters. Our crews bring advanced lifesaving care directly to patients, but the journey doesn’t end there. Patients need seamless access to specialist hospitals. Where on-site helipad access isn’t available, avoidable delays can occur at one of the most critical points in a patient’s journey.”

Hospital helipads are considered a vital part of emergency care infrastructure, enabling air ambulance crews to transfer patients directly into hospital teams without delay.

However, current provision remains inconsistent across the UK, creating variation in patient access to urgent care and placing additional pressure on NHS services.

Across the North West, this directly affects access to specialist services at Major Trauma Centres, including Manchester Royal Infirmary, Salford Royal Hospital, Aintree University Hospital, and Royal Preston Hospital, which receive some of the region’s most seriously injured patients.

The campaign is calling for coordinated national action to:

*Make 24/7 on-site hospital helipad access standard across all Major Trauma Centres and specialist hospitals.
*Recognise helipads as essential NHS infrastructure.
*Improve planning and policy to safeguard helipad provision for the future.
*Ensure consistent national standards for safety and operation.

NWAA serves more than eight million people across the region, covering communities from Carlisle to Crewe. With three helicopters and four critical care cars, the charity delivers advanced pre-hospital care day and night, attending an average of 11 missions every day.

Andy added: “Our crews are here for patients in their most critical moments, often when time is the difference between life and death. In a region as large and diverse as the North West, fast access to specialist hospitals is vital.

By improving hospital helipad access, we can help ensure patients are transferred directly into the further care they need, without unnecessary delays.”

NWAA receives no government or NHS funding for its daily operations, relying entirely on public donations to raise over £18 million each year to keep its lifesaving service running.

The charity is encouraging people across the North West to support the campaign and help raise awareness of the importance of hospital helipads in emergency care.