A life-saving helipad at the Royal Hobart Hospital is now a reality after its construction was unanimously endorsed by the Hobart City Council last night.

The addition of a helipad will eliminate critical transfer time for emergency patients.

Hobart is currently the only Australian capital not to have proper air access capability to its major tertiary hospital. With the approval of the helipad, this will no longer be the case.

All Tasmanians will benefit from helipad access to Tasmania's tertiary health facility.

The helipad will be built on the roof of the new K-Block that will start construction next year.

It will allow the Royal to respond to critical incidents faster, deliver patients to treatment sooner and reduce preventable adverse outcomes due to avoidable transit delays.

With the approved helipad, critically ill patients will be delivered to the emergency department or theatres within a few minutes of landing at the Royal.

More than 30 critical minutes after an emergency will be saved because ground ambulance retrieval will no longer be necessary.

The inclusion of the helipad on K-Block is supported by hospital clinicians, Ambulance Tasmania and the community.

As a condition of approval, further noise testing will be undertaken in conjunction with the Theatre Royal to establish accurate noise impacts.

This will provide the detailed information necessary for the Theatre Royal Management Board's future planning and management of the theatre's activities.

08 Sep 2015