Written answers

Thursday, 19 April 2012

9:00 pm

Photo of Denis NaughtenDenis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)
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Question 174: To ask the Minister for Health the acute hospitals that have landing facilities on site to cater for the new air ambulance service; if not on site, the distance to the designated landing site; the plans, if any, there are to improve such facilities at each acute hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19563/12]

Photo of James ReillyJames Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Individual acute hospitals are responsible for the development of and management of landing pads at hospitals. The following information is provided by the National Ambulance Service (NAS) and is based on a once off audit of the availability of such landing pads to inform the planning of the proposed Emergency Aeromedical Service.

NAS was informed that there are 13 hospitals nationally that are equipped with a helicopter landing pad, of which seven of these have night time operational capability. Each of the 13 landing pads are capable of facilitating the proposed Emergency Aeromedical Service.

In the event of a landing pad being unavailable or where a particular hospital may not have a landing pad, alternative sites have been identified at suitable and safe and are currently in use in respect of tertiary level inter hospital transfers. These sites will available to the proposed Emergency Aeromedical Service.

The majority of the classed, Temporary Helicopter Landing Pads, are located in close proximity to the receiving hospitals. No specific distances are available. As per Standard Operating Procedure, NAS will meet arriving aircraft at these sites and provide expedient transport onwards to the receiving hospital.

In respect of the development of landing pads within hospitals, this is a matter for each individual hospital.

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