Helipad partnership gives service a lift

A new partnership is allowing Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to provide faster and safer transfers, using the Children's Air Ambulance.

Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has joined forces with the Embrace paediatric transfer service, to gain access to its national paediatric and neonatal transfer helicopter. This partnership will allow the helicopter to land at the Northern General Hospital's state of the art helipad, only 30 minutes from the helicopter's base at Doncaster Sheffield airport. Previously the helicopter had to land at a local sports field, and the new arrangement will help to ensure transfers can be completed as smoothly and efficiently as possible.

The aircraft will be able to land quickly and safely at the Northern General, either to deliver a child to a waiting ambulance for transfer in to Sheffield Childrens Hospital or Jessops Neonatal Unit, or to receive a child from these centres for air transfer to specialist treatment elsewhere.

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TCAA director of ops, Richard Clayton, said: 'The Children's Air Ambulance is very grateful to Sheffield Teaching Hospitals and Embrace specialist transport service for facilitating the use of the helipad. The purpose of the Children's Air Ambulance is the safe, timely air transfer of paediatric and neonatal patients to specialist care centres throughout the UK and developing landing sites such as those at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals helps us to achieve this for critically unwell children and babies.'

Dr Stuart Reid, consultant in emergency medicine at Sheffield, said: 'This will help to facilitate the planned transfer of critically ill or injured children to and from the Sheffield Children's Hospital or Jessops Neonatal Unit.'