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Estates projects

We are always looking to improve our facilities so we can provide the best possible patient care. Here are some current and recent refurbishment and construction projects.

Willowfield Building

The Willowfield Building is a brand new facility providing a dedicated home for many outpatient services. For more information see our Willowfield Building page.

Critical Care Centre

King’s has created a new, 60-bed Critical Care Centre.

The facility is built on top of an existing surgical block. Set over two floors and equipped with state-of-the-art assessment and monitoring equipment, it provides a better environment for critically unwell patients as well as the staff treating them.

Patients spend weeks and sometimes months in the Critical Care Centre. So medical staff and patients worked with our facilities team on the interior design, to ensure it provides the best possible environment for patients to help them get better. This is also important for patients’ relatives, who often spend hours and days by their bedsides. The Centre has a specially-designed rooftop garden, allowing patients who are on life support to spend some time outdoors.

Helipad

Our helipad at King’s College Hospital is one of only three in London. It helps save thousands of lives and assists the hospital in serving its trauma population of 4.5 million people across south east London and Kent.

Operational since October 2016, the helipad has reduced the time it takes helicopters to transfer critically ill patients ‘from landing to resus’ to just 5 minutes. Previously, helicopters had to land in nearby Ruskin Park and patients were transferred to King’s by road, which could take up to 25 minutes.

The helipad was possible thanks to a multi-million-pound donation from the County Air Ambulance HELP Appeal. In addition, more than 2,600 patients, staff, and members of the local community generously donated £500,000 to the hospital’s Time is Life Appeal.

Helipad night landings

In March 2019, we became the first hospital Trust in London to be granted permission for air ambulances to land at night. This ensures patients get the same level of timely care 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Before night landings were introduced, the helipad operated from 7am to 9pm. Any trauma patients who needed specialist treatment and care outside of these hours were brought to King’s by road ambulance.

Following engagement with local residents and Lambeth Council, air ambulances can land at the helipad 24/7. This reduces transfer time from the Kent coast from 2 hours to just 25 minutes.

On average, one to two air ambulances a week land at King’s at night. Most nighttime emergency patients still arrive by road ambulance. Patients are brought by road if they are already close to the hospital and the reduced transfer time the air ambulance could achieve is unlikely to affect their recovery.

The operational costs for the extended service are covered by Air Ambulance Kent, Surrey and Sussex.

Have your say

To help us assess the impact the helipad and night landings are having on our patients and local community, you can contact us on [email protected].

Princess Royal University Hospital (PRUH) and Orpington Hospital

See the PRUH website for information on PRUH and Orpington Hospital building projects.