Far reaching vision of facial surgeon Rob Bentley

Helipad at King’s has already helped 162 patients

16 November 2017

A year on from the launch of the King’s College Hospital helipad it has already helped 162 critically injured patients and made the three-year long fundraising project worthwhile, says Mr Robert Bentley, consultant craniofacial surgeon at King’s College Hospital (KCH) and clinical director of the South East London Kent and Medway (SELKaM) Major Trauma Network and whose vision the helipad had been.

“We receive some of the most seriously injured patients in the South East, and the helipad means that these patients are now receiving equity of access to the care they urgently require despite the distances involved, thanks to the helipad and air ambulance service.”

One year on from when the KCH helipad started operating a critically injured patient was given a 65-mile life-saving flight from Hythe in Kent to South London in 25 minutes. The patient had broken every bone in his face after a rooftop fall.

“The story demonstrates the importance of getting critically injured patients into King’s Trauma Centre and receiving specialist care as soon as possible. I am proud that the specialty of oral and maxillofacial surgery took such a leading role in realising the provision of a major trauma service for the UK,” Rob Bentley added.

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