After all...the Puma was "new" in the 1980's.
It was even newer in the early 1970s when the RAF first brought the Puma HC1 into service.
An Air Staff Target was put forward in the early 1980s for finding a Puma/Wessex/Lynx replacement. Many of us flying the Puma could see that the Blackhawk would have been ideal for the RAF's role back then. A re-engined (Makila) HC1 was also one of the contenders. As usual there was no money and all went quiet.
I would hope that MOD will not throw away the money being spent on the ongoing Puma upgrade to HC2 specification (especially as it's taken another 30 years to get there), but stranger things have happened.