Life-saving transfers to the mainland by the Coastguard Rescue Helicopter will now be carried out from Bembridge Airport – 10 miles away from the Isle of Wight’s only hospital.
When seriously ill patients require airlifting to the mainland for specialist treatment, the assistance of the Coastguard Helicopter from Lee-on-Solent is often called upon, especially overnight.
Until 2013, HM Coastguard would regularly land at Seaclose Park in Newport to carry out the time-critical missions. But the need to place poorly patients into an ambulance and transport them down the dual carriageway was negated with the opening of a dedicated helipad at St Mary’s Hospital almost 12 years ago.
However, safety fears surrounding the use of the hospital helipad led to a decision last year to divert the 8-tonne chopper back to Seaclose Park to carry out medical evacuations, as exclusively revealed by Island Echo in September.
The about-turn follows the tragic death of 87-year-old Jean Langan. The pensioner suffered fatal injuries after being blown over by the downdraft of a Coastguard helicopter in Plymouth back in March 2022. This incident led to a number of safety recommendations and a review of all helicopter landing sites (HLS) across the NHS estate.
Now, health and safety is once again impacting the transfer of the Island’s most seriously ill patients as it has been determined Seaclose Park is no longer suitable for transfers. Island Echo understands regulation and safety concerns have played a part in this decision.
Instead, those needing mainland treatment are now being driven by ambulance some 10 miles over The Downs from Newport to Bembridge Airport, where the Coastguard helicopter will rendezvous with the Isle of Wight Ambulance Service.
As well as a 10-mile journey this side of the Solent, patients requiring urgent treatment at hospitals in Southampton or Portsmouth face another trip by road as the Coastguard helicopter is also unable to land at helipads at Southampton General or Queen Alexandra.
It’s estimated that the need to transfer patients by road both before and after the short helicopter flight adds up to an hour to the overall transfer time. It also requires the mobilisation of 2 ambulances and 2 Coastguard Rescue Teams.
The first transfer from Bembridge Airport was carried out late last night (Monday) with an individual flown to Queen Alexandra Hospital, Cosham – landing at Horsea Island.
A spokesperson for HM Coastguard has told Island Echo:
”Responsibility for landing sites remain with site operators, and we have been supporting NHS bodies in their response.
“These changes do not affect HM Coastguard’s 24/7search and rescue capability. Where operations at specific sites are no longer possible or where operators are required to carry out compliance work, contingency plans are in place to ensure HM Coastguard helicopters can deliver people safely into appropriate onward medical care.”
Medivacs from the helipad by other helicopters – such as the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Air Ambulance – are unaffected.
Red Tape: 1 Common Sense: 0
The article doesn’t say which of the many overlapping “regulators” made this decision, but whoever it is apparently has no problem letting Amazon drop parcels into your back yard.
That’s not going to work with our dreadful roads..so people going to die or be more seriously injured..well done to all.
Why can’t they improve the safety of the hospital helipad? Driving seriously ill patients 10 miles over our pot holed narrow roads at high speed is hardly safe both for the patient and other road users.