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| Hospital helipad landing sites to go 24 hours | Hospital helipad landing sites to go 24 hours |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| More medical helicopter landing sites are being identified and existing ones improved so they can be used around the clock as part of a new flying doctors' service which starts in April. | More medical helicopter landing sites are being identified and existing ones improved so they can be used around the clock as part of a new flying doctors' service which starts in April. |
| Currently, only three hospital sites support 24-hour landings, two in north Wales and one at Swansea's Morriston. | Currently, only three hospital sites support 24-hour landings, two in north Wales and one at Swansea's Morriston. |
| A total of £180,000 is being spent to make more available for night landings. | A total of £180,000 is being spent to make more available for night landings. |
| In all, 27 further areas around Wales are being surveyed to act as rendezvous points for road vehicles. | In all, 27 further areas around Wales are being surveyed to act as rendezvous points for road vehicles. |
| The night-time landing sites will rely on rural volunteers or hospital response teams to deploy temporary landing lights and windsocks when alerted to the arrival of an aircraft. | The night-time landing sites will rely on rural volunteers or hospital response teams to deploy temporary landing lights and windsocks when alerted to the arrival of an aircraft. |
| New 24-hour landing sites | New 24-hour landing sites |
| From April, Wales Air Ambulance crews will be joined by consultant doctors who will be able to provide immediate treatment for trauma injuries, strokes and heart attacks. | From April, Wales Air Ambulance crews will be joined by consultant doctors who will be able to provide immediate treatment for trauma injuries, strokes and heart attacks. |
| Deputy Health Minister Vaughan Gething said the Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service Cymru (EMRTS Cymru) will "transform our ability to provide the very best care to the most critically-ill patients in Wales". | Deputy Health Minister Vaughan Gething said the Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service Cymru (EMRTS Cymru) will "transform our ability to provide the very best care to the most critically-ill patients in Wales". |
| The service will mean 95% of the population will be able to access doctor-led care within 30 minutes. | The service will mean 95% of the population will be able to access doctor-led care within 30 minutes. |
| Wales Air Ambulance has carried out more than 18,000 missions since its launch in 2001. | Wales Air Ambulance has carried out more than 18,000 missions since its launch in 2001. |
| Existing 24-hour landing sites are at Glan Clwyd Hospital, Bodelwyddan, and Bangor's Ysbyty Gwynedd as well as Morriston Hospital in Swansea. | Existing 24-hour landing sites are at Glan Clwyd Hospital, Bodelwyddan, and Bangor's Ysbyty Gwynedd as well as Morriston Hospital in Swansea. |
| Cardiff's University hospital of Wales is not in the list, despite being Wales' largest hospital as the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) will not allow it. | |
| A CAA spokesperson said: "We received a request from Wales Air Ambulance to conduct night flights from the University Hospital of Wales helipad. | |
| "However, on reviewing the location of the helipad we were not satisfied that night operations could be carried out safely due to a number of obstructions in the area. | |
| "We will therefore not approve the request but are happy to discuss alternative locations for a helipad that can be used for night operations in the future." |