Sussex county helipad

[effortless]

Good morning, there has been some social media speculation about the new helipad on the Sussex county hospital in brighton. It doesn’t appear to have been used. Does anyone know the reason for this?

thank you in advance from someone who didn’t have the hands for rotary.

[detgnome]

Not surprisingly the pandemic has caused some problems in getting the helipad commissioned, but this wouldn't really explain why over 2 years after it was supposed to enter service it still remains out of use. The last explanation that I heard was that there were problems with manning of the helipad with appropriately trained personnel - not sure if it is/was budget related.

[FC1]

I don't think it's a manning or training issue, I have made numerous approaches to them since the project was first muted with regards to providing cost effective in house training / or providing professional helideck staff and never received a reply. Several years ago I was told by one of the hospital fire officers that he had never been included in the consultation, design or building of the project and subsequently wanted nothing to do with it. I was delivering a Helideck training course at a London hospital recently and was in discussion with a colleague about SCH and he had been told by a contact at SCH that it was possibly because the CEO does not want it opened in case it increases casualty overload into the ED!!! How true that is I don't know but whatever the reason it is a travesty that this facility is not being used.

[effortless]

Still no traffic! I know that Sussex County Management is and has been pretty dire for years. Is it their fault?

[kenparry]

The local story is that there is a problem with the cladding on the tower below the helipad - not stressed for the rotor downwash, and it has to be replaced on about the top 3 stories. However, when eventually approved for use, there will still be weather problems. I can see the pad from home, and when there is a SW wind, especially in winter, the top of the hospital is often in cloud. I expect there will be many occasions when the air ambulances will still need to use the existing helipad in Sheepcote Valley. I've not heard any timescale for the allegedly required works.

[twinstar_ca]

The local story is that there is a problem with the cladding on the tower below the helipad - not stressed for the rotor downwash, and it has to be replaced on about the top 3 stories. However, when eventually approved for use, there will still be weather problems. I can see the pad from home, and when there is a SW wind, especially in winter, the top of the hospital is often in cloud. I expect there will be many occasions when the air ambulances will still need to use the existing helipad in Sheepcote Valley. I've not heard any timescale for the allegedly required works.

Was this not something that was identified by the original heliport consultants in the design phase??

[kenparry]

Twinstar: one would hope so, but the UK has along history of totally screwed-up projects in infrastructure and elsewhere.

[jimf671]

Twinstar: one would hope so, but the UK has along history of totally screwed-up projects in infrastructure and elsewhere.

No kidding. :rolleyes:

[EESDL]

......shouldn't that be 'no cladding'.....