Safety Action Notice – SAN2404

The Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) report into a fatal downwash accident at Plymouth Derriford Hospital (Nov 2023) makes several recommendations to address safeguarding measures that need to be in place at Hospital Helicopter Landing Sites (HHLS) used by NHS Scotland, UK Search and Rescue (SAR), Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) and other bodies. NHSScotland (NHSS) Assure are specifically given an action, “to review all existing hospital helicopter landing sites for which it has responsibility against the latest guidance and instigate appropriate actions to minimise the risk of injury from downwash to uninvolved persons.”

In addition, UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) issued new CAP1264 hospital helipad guidance (April 2024). Bristow UK SAR air operator also recently issued a letter and list of 23 ‘red’ HHLS in Scotland where they are not currently assured that NHS Board safeguarding is in place (August 2024). Consequently, SAR services are withdrawn for these 23 ‘red’ HHLS for the time being until Board safeguarding duty is assured as compliant with CAP1264. For avoidance of doubt, NHS Chief Executive has overall responsibility for the safeguarding and operational management of any HHLS used in NHS patient delivery to hospital, irrespective of HHLS land ownership.

Although the immediate impact is the SAR 23 site withdrawals (Appendix ‘red’ list), CAP1264 has a wider NHS safeguard impact and duties for each HHLS’s range off air operators such as SAS, SCAA, Police, Coastguard. Also, particularly in inclement weather, SAR provide ‘back-up’ role for SAS transfers (~10% of 4000 annual SAS organised NHSScotland heli-transfers were operated by SAR).