A new landing site for coastguard rescue helicopters flying critically ill patients at Stornoway is now operational at Mossend, about a mile from Western Isles Hospital. Patients and injured casualties would have a secondary transfer by land ambulance to the hospital.
Bristow which operates the UK Coastguard contract for rescue helicopter services stopped using the helipad at Western Isles Hospital in September over safety fears to the public. The present facility is in very close proximity to the accident and emergency department.
Over 20 landing sites at hospitals in Scotland were red listed by Bristow following an Air Accidents Investigation Branch report into a fatality caused by a helicopter’s downdraft at a NHS hospital in Plymouth.
A 87-year-old woman died after sustaining a fatal head injury while walking to a
car at a NHS hospital carpark in Plymouth following an outpatient appointment. She
was lifted off her feet before landing on the ground due to the strong downdraft
of a coastguard Sikorsky S-92A helicopter operated by Bristow.
Another member of the public nearby was blown over and suffered a broken pelvis.
Several others in the car park were subjected to high levels of downwash from the landing aircraft.
The report highlighted shortcomings over the operation of hospital helicopter landing sites.
Many years ago, the Civil Aviation Authority advised an extended safety zone of up to 65 metres for hospital helipads but it only applied to new sites and those undergoing refurbishment. It was not retrospectively applicable to existing landing pads.
Strengthened rules were introduced last year as a result of the Plymouth hospital tragedy.
Lighter Scottish Air Ambulance helicopters can still use the hospital site but the
health board has built a new helipad at Mossend which complies with the new standards
for search-and-rescue helicopters.
Gordon Jamieson, chief executive of NHS Western Isles, said the Mossend location was “carefully selected to adhere to the stringent operational and safety requirements” now in place.
“This ensures that critical care air transport can continue to operate without interruption, even in challenging weather conditions or other unforeseen circumstances.”
The health board said reinstating a fully operational land site beside the Western Isles Hospital is an “absolute priority” for NHS Western Isles.
The helicopter landing location at Borve for St Brendan’s Hospital on Barra is not affected. Airlifts for Ospadal Uibhist agus Bharraigh on Benbecula continue to use Balivanich Airport.
In over 30 years of operation, there have been “no incidents relating to physical injury” as a result of the location of the helipad at Western Isles Hospital, says the health board.
New Stornoway helicopter landing site built following safety concerns over hospital helipad
8 January 2025
