New helipad at Oswestry hospital

The new helipad at Oswestry is officially opened

Spinal injury patients who arrive at Oswestry's orthopaedic hospital at Gobowen could be spared a bumpy ride on a stretcher across the grass.

A new helipad, costing more than £400,000, has been installed along with lighting and a covered walkway.

It has been made possible by the County Air Ambulance Trust's HELP (Helicopter Emergency Landing Pad) appeal.

The trust is hoping to be able to provide helipads at every acute hospital in the country.

Fantastic facility

The helipad is close to a covered, well-lit walkway, which enables patients to be taken from the aircraft straight into the hospital along a flat surface.

Many of the people coming to the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Hospital have spinal injuries and a smooth ride is important.

The flexibility of the helicopter, the number of lives it saves and the speed at which it can do that is fantastic Jon Peters

Wendy Farrington Chadd is the Chief Executive of the hospital which houses the Midlands Centre for Spinal Injuries: "Before, patients would arrive here and be taken across the path, across the road in the ambulance bed, exposed to the elements, so it's a real improvement in terms of the patient journey."

Richard Harpin is the president of the HELP appeal which paid for the helipad and walkway. He said his ambition was to see all 165 trauma and emergency hospitals in the UK with their own helicopter landing area.

He said the Oswestry one was easier than most to install: "We've built a tarmac walkway and it's in the grounds of the hospital on grass. Others have to either be on the roof of the hospital or on a metal platform above the car parks. We really need to make more of these happen."

Surprise visitor

Gulf War pilot, Jon Peters, was an unexpected guest

The Vice President of the County Air Ambulance Trust is Denys Shortt. He said they were still managing to raise funds, despite the recession: "I think people dig deep when times are tough... Obviously raising money for an air ambulance is a great cause and we're surviving."

A surprise guest at the official opening ceremony of the helipad was Jon Peters, the RAF pilot who was shot down over Iraq in 1991 during the first Gulf War.

Mr Peters said he was delighted to have been invited by one of the sponsors to fly up to Shropshire for the event.

"The flexibility of the helicopter, the number of lives it saves and the speed at which it can do that is fantastic. I wish there was more money to be put into air ambulances across the nation," he said.