Plans have been approved to build a new £250,000 helipad at Ipswich Hospital.

The project will be built next to the hospital's Emergency Department and the helipad is expected to be operational by January next year.

The ground-level facility, which will speed up the times it takes to transfer critically ill patients to the hospital, is being entirely funded by the HELP Appeal, a charity dedicated to funding the construction of hospital helipads.

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Ipswich Hospital Chief Executive, Nick Hulme, said: "The new helipad will be a big step forward in delivering first-class care to our critically ill patients. We are hugely grateful to The HELP Appeal for this £250,000 funding, every penny of which will contribute to the helipad and saving lives."

Robert Bertram, Chief Executive of the HELP Appeal, added: "We go where we are needed most and Ipswich Hospital needed our help. When a patient suffers a major trauma or serious medical event, an additional lengthy transfer to hospital after landing in an air ambulance could seriously affect their chances of recovery. Building this new helipad just a short trolley push away from the hospital could dramatically improve their chances of recovery."

(LM)