Written answers

Wednesday, 27 February 2019

Department of Health

Air Ambulance Service

Photo of Paul MurphyPaul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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101. To ask the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that 4 of the 5 helicopters in use for inter-helicopter transfers are not capable of landing on the rooftop planned of the new national children’s hospital; the planning and consultation which has been carried out in relation to helipads at the new national children’s hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9801/19]

Photo of Paul MurphyPaul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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102. To ask the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that at night-time the helicopters will have to land at Dublin Airport and the sick children be transported by ambulance to the new national children’s hospitals in view of the fact that none of the five helicopters would be able to land on the proposed helipad; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9802/19]

Photo of Simon HarrisSimon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 101 and 102 together.

The majority of patient transfers to the existing three Dublin children’s hospitals are completed by road. There will be an elevated helipad at the new children's hospital, which will have direct and rapid access to the critical care, theatre and emergency departments within the hospital. This enhanced direct and rapid access will improve clinical outcomes for the sickest children and young people.

The helipad has been designed in close consultation with the National Ambulance Service Aeromedical Liaison Service who are responsible for providing helicopter services to hospitals. The National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (NPHDB) also consulted with the Irish Aviation Authority and the Air Corps who are the primary provider of paediatric helicopter services to the National Ambulance Service.  

The NPHDB has advised that, when reviewing the alternatives with the Irish Aviation Authority and the Air Corps, they recommended against a ground helipad due to the constrained flight paths and obstacle clearance. Use of elevated landing sites on the roof of hospitals is widespread in the UK and Europe and many of the recently completed paediatric hospitals have elevated helipads. 

The Air Corps is the primary provider of paediatric helicopter services to the National Ambulance Service. Air Corps helicopters comprising Augusta Westland AW139 can land on a raised landing site or the roof of a building which is designed and certified for such operations.  The Irish Coast Guard provides reserve support to the National Ambulance Service, when required, through its Sikorsky S92 search and rescue fleet primarily for search and rescue missions. The Sikorsky S92 helicopters are not licensed to land on helipads and, for access to the St. James's Campus, will land in the Royal Hospital Kilmainham from which patients will be transferred in an ambulance by road, as is current practice.

In any major emergency rescue in a rural area, a Sikorsky Helicopter will bring the patient to the nearest regional hospital for stabilisation resulting in an appropriately planned transfer to the new children’s hospital.  

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