First elevated helipad in the North West of England now operational

27 May 2021

Currie & Brown acted as cost advisor to Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust on the construction of a rooftop helipad in central Manchester.

The first elevated helipad of its kind in the North West, the £7 million helicopter landing pad is located on the roof of Grafton Street car park on Oxford Road.

Previously, helicopters landed in nearby parkland, and patients had to be transferred from helicopter to hospital by ambulance.

The new facility, which was designed by Sheppard Robson, means as many as 300 patients a year will be transferred within minutes directly from the helicopter to the emergency departments at Manchester Royal Infirmary and Royal Manchester Children's Hospital and to Saint Mary's Hospital.

In addition to the helipad itself, works included the construction of a 130-metre bridge, suspended 19 metres above street level, connecting the helipad to the hospital.

Currie & Brown also provided independent certifier services, including weekly compliance checks throughout the construction phase, and independent witness testing and validation of the mechanical and electrical engineering systems.

Howard Johnson, director in Currie & Brown's Manchester office, commented: 'We are proud to have contributed to the development of Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust's helipad. This new facility means patients will be transferred to specialist hospitals much more easily, saving valuable time in delivering essential treatment as quickly as possible.'