London heli-pad.. could it be used commercially?

[Pittsextra]

BBC News - Helipad to be built at St George's Hospital in Tooting (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-19633232)

[Agaricus bisporus]

Of course it "could". The helipad must be approved by the CAA for commercial use as commercial (ie non military) helos operate from it.

But commercial non medical use would never be allowed by our far-sighted local authority planning departments.

Not sure that a hospital pad is really appropriate for general use though there is undoubtably a considerable need for such a facility in London. And what better way to keep the noise up high and less noticeable?

[RVDT]

I hope they revise the design as proposed. :ugh:

[Bravo73]

Could it be used commercially? Possibly.

Will it be? Nope.

Imagine the scenario where a charter aircraft lands to drop off pax but then has to shutdown due to a technical issue. The pad would then effectively be closed to air ambulances.

[AnFI]

Bravo - yes of course, theoretically - but not often enough to actually be a real problem - in the real world - really!

[Helinut]

RVDT,

Do you want to give any idea what you are hinting at?

[Thud_and_Blunder]

AnFI, Bravo73's explanation for not using an NHS helipad is perfectly valid - Air Ambulances/HEMS don't shut-down on beaches below the HWM for precisely the same reason (and despite the supposedly-vanishingly-small chance of being caught out, there is history of it having happened).

As for using hospital landing sites for commercial purposes, I can see other limitations where business-folk only see possibilities. Fire cover at elevated hospital pads is provided by security/porter staff, neither of whom would be available for commercial tasking. Imagine your customers using the same express lift as the previous 'arrival', who may well have been inconsiderate enough to leave claret and other bodily fluids (solids?) around the walls, floors and ceiling. Imagine them then routeing through Resusc in A&E - 'cos that's where the express lift will be designed to go. Then imagine the delights of negotiating the standard UK NHS parking system to get to their limo...