Town helipad sees nearly 240 landings
Campbeltown Hospital’s state-of-the-art Robert Black Memorial Helipad has seen 239 landings since it became operational two years ago.
Since April 2021, the life-saving facility has helped patients requiring a variety of treatments including emergency scans, maternity interventions, orthopaedic surgical interventions and respiratory specialist treatment.
The £270,000 helipad, named in honour of Campbeltown paramedic Robert Black who died in May 2020, aged just 52, after a battle with Covid, was funded by the HELP Appeal. It was built after three years of campaigning for a fit-forpurpose helipad, with air ambulances previously having to land in an often muddy, water-logged field.
Campbeltown Hospital also often has to send patients to other hospitals across Scotland to receive specialist treatment, but when there was adverse weather conditions, air ambulances had to use Campbeltown Airport – the closest landing site – which made patient transfer times even longer.
“This helipad was made possible thanks to the generosity of our supporters and the huge backing from the local community,” said Robert Bertram, chief executive of the HELP Appeal.
“It has been a game changer for critically-ill patients who no longer have to rely on good weather to get treated as quickly as possible, which is essential for their recovery and survival.”
The HELP Appeal campaign aims to significantly increase the number of onsite hospital helipads at major trauma centres and A&E hospitals through its grant scheme which offers non-repayable grants to hospitals to help fund new helipads or upgrade existing helipads.
The HELP Appeal has funded or is funding 14 helipads in Scotland, including at Raigmore Hospital, Inverness; Edinburgh Royal Infirmary; University Hospital Crosshouse, Kilmarnock, and in remote communities on the isles of Barra, Arran and Mull.
The charity has also donated £200,000 towards portable landing lights for Scotland’s Air Ambulance Service for 20 locations across Scotland.
In a bid to raise funds for ongoing maintenance costs at the Campbeltown helipad, a coffee morning was held at Campbeltown Town Hall on Saturday, raising £604.