IT TOOK 15 years to get it, £1.2m to build it and last minute delays before it could be launched but Southampton General Hospital’s helipad now has lift-off.

Critically ill patients fighting for their lives have a much better chance of survival now that they can be flown direct to the hospital, air ambulances landing on the new helipad on the roof of the car park.

Despite several delays due to union clashes over safety concerns last week and weather conditions on Wednesday, the first test flight was successfully completed yesterday.

Within minutes of the helicopter touching down the crew were called to an emergency on the Isle of Wight and returned within the hour with the first patient to land on the helipad.

As the crew and doctors congratulated themselves on the first successful flight, they were called to a second emergency to save another life – a woman suffering from a head injury in Minstead.

Dr Andy Eynon, director of major trauma at Southampton General Hospital, said: “We are delighted. We knew there was a huge need for this area and to have a patient who needed it so quickly just goes to show we were right.”

The new helipad will mean the difference between surviving an injury, stroke or heart attack and for others could help drastically cut the time spent in hospital recovering.

Up until now the air ambulance has been forced to land on a field in Lordshill – adding 30 minutes to the journey.

Dr Eynon added: “It’s been a long time coming in Southampton and it is going to benefit a lot of patients not only in Hampshire but also the Isle of Wight, West Sussex, Dorset and Wiltshire.

“This means that we’ll be saving 30 to 40 minutes each time that a patient needs to come in and that will save lives and it will improve outcomes for a wide range of patients.

“All the people that have worked on this are just as excited as I am to see it finally come to fruition.”