Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is delighted to welcome a generous donation of over £61,000 from the HELP Appeal, the only charity in the country dedicated to funding NHS hospital helipads, which will cover the entire cost of a state-of-the-art weather station at the Trust’s helipad, located at Leeds General Infirmary (LGI). This vital equipment will significantly enhance the safety and efficiency of air ambulance operations.
The new weather station will provide real-time weather updates to emergency helicopter pilots, offering critical data on visibility, wind speeds, and overall weather conditions around the helipad. This information will support pilots in making informed decisions, ensuring that critically injured patients are transported to the most appropriate Major Trauma Centre safely and efficiently.
Peter Aldridge, Associate Director for Estates, Fire and Security at the Trust, commented on the impact of the donation: “The new weather station equipment, once installed, will greatly improve the safety and efficiency of our helideck operations. It will assist our patients, helideck crew, and the air ambulance team by enabling pilots to make well-informed decisions before and during flights, helping them assess landing conditions at our site and determine which Major Trauma Centre offers the best weather conditions.”
The addition of this weather station will also benefit the Trust’s helipad crew by working in conjunction with existing wind speed risk assessments, further enhancing safety during air ambulance landings.
This weather station marks another step in ensuring that patients receive timely and effective care in the most challenging circumstances. As Robert Bertram, the HELP Appeal’s Chief Executive explains:
“Enhancing hospital helipads is crucial for saving lives. By improving access for air ambulances, we can ensure that critically ill patients receive lifesaving treatment as quickly as possible, regardless of their location. Our support for these improvements reflects our commitment to advancing emergency care and making a tangible difference to critically ill patients across the region and beyond.”
At the cheque handover event, several key individuals were in attendance, including Peter Aldridge, Simon Cooper and Dominique Parker, Helideck Management Team, staff from the helipad fire team, and Simon Jones, Aviation Technical adviser from the HELP Appeal and Sky View Systems, the company responsible for installing the weather station.
To find out more about donating to the HELP Appeal visit www.helpappeal.org.uk
