Test Flights Set to Begin at Brighton Hospital Helipad After Eight-Year Delay

Test flights are expected to start soon from the long-awaited helipad at Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton, nearly eight years after the project began.

The £15.5 million helipad was originally due to open in June 2019 but faced repeated delays due to structural concerns and rising costs.

Remedial work, including window repairs on the Thomas Kemp Tower, is now nearly complete, with test flights likely by early March, weather permitting.

Once operational, the helipad will allow direct transfers of critically ill and injured patients to the hospital, reducing travel time compared to the current system, where airlifted patients land in East Brighton Park before being transported by ambulance.

The helipad sits atop a 15-storey tower above the Trevor Mann Baby Unit and has permission for up to 70 flights a year to the A&E department, operating daily between 7am and 7pm, with flexibility for major incidents.

Annual running costs are expected to exceed £450,000, with around 125–145 patients expected to use it each year once fully operational.

Supporters say the helipad is a vital investment in trauma care, while some have criticised the project for delays and costs, highlighting the need for lessons to be learned.