A HELICOPTER pad will form part of the new super hospital at Queen's Park, it has been revealed.

Health watchdogs said a landing pad for the North West Air Ambulance was crucial to the development of the single site hospital.

All health services at Blackburn Infirmary will transfer to Queen's Park Hospital when the infirmary eventually closes in a few years time.

The scheme for the district general hospital has been backed by Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Community Health Council (CHC).

But the CHC has asked for several issues to be taken into consideration, including the improvement of public transport services to and from the hospital.

A CHC spokesman said: "The benefits to patients and staff by single site working are enormous. It should reduce the unnecessary time spent in moving between sites and enable speedier investigations, treatment and consultations. "The siting of Queen's Park Hospital is less than ideal, particularly in adverse weather conditions. Provision must be made for adequate and appropriate services to be provided to ensure that access to the hospital remains open at these times, including the siting of a helicopter landing pad.

"Members have noted that the overall reduction of beds has been minimised. They are also aware that single site working will reduce delays in investigation being undertaken, thus reducing the pressure on blocked beds. But given the pressures on beds and the current large number of medical outliers (patients), on surgical wards at Blackburn Royal Infirmary in particular, members have obvious concern about any reduction in beds."

Project boss Simon Neville, said a helicopter pad would probably be located on a current car park area.

He said: "At the moment a car park at the former Park Lee Hospital is used as a landing point for the emergency helicopter, which is not ideal."

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