en.Wedoany.com Reported - Funded by the UK's New Hospital Programme (NHP), a new £100 million building at Dorset County Hospital has recently reached its structural topping-out milestone. The two-storey clinical facility is designed to transform how the trust delivers emergency care.

The new Emergency Department will be able to treat more patients, featuring dedicated areas for children and young people, as well as separate spaces for patients with mental health needs. The number of intensive care beds will expand from 11 to 16, with potential for further growth in the future, and will include paediatric spaces. The building is connected to the main hospital via a link corridor, and the freed-up space will be repurposed to support same-day emergency care.

The national NHP team, local partners, and supporters celebrated this construction milestone, marked by the unveiling of a £2 million rooftop helipad. The helipad was sponsored by the HELP Appeal, a charity that is the only organisation in the UK dedicated solely to funding NHS hospital helipads.

The new building project is also supported by the Dorset County Hospital Charity's Emergency and Critical Care Appeal, which is raising £2.5 million for enhanced facilities within the new building, including overnight accommodation for relatives and staff.

The helipad is made of aluminium, transported from the Netherlands and installed by Bayards. The helideck covers approximately 284 square feet and has a load capacity of 8,600 kg.

Robert Bertram, Chief Executive of the HELP Appeal, said the completion of this state-of-the-art hospital helipad is of great significance to Dorset and the wider region. As the county's only rooftop hospital helipad, it will transform how critically ill and injured patients receive emergency care. By allowing air ambulances to land directly at the hospital, time can be saved in every second that counts, giving patients the best chance of survival and recovery. Bertram thanked everyone who supports the HELP Appeal, noting that this construction milestone belongs to every donor and fundraiser who contributed to this life-saving project.