Readers question the £1m investment in helicopter landing facilities at a Gwynedd hospital, with concerns over costs, staffing priorities and value for money.
David Prince and North Wales Live readers
03:38, 30 Jan 2026
An air ambulance attended the scene(Image: Ian Cooper/North Wales Live)
Readers of North Wales Live have wasted no time responding to proposals for a £1m investment in new hospital helipad infrastructure, with many raising questions about the expense, necessity and implications for local healthcare provision.
The Welsh Government has given the green light to nearly £1m in funding to upgrade helicopter landing capabilities at a North Wales hospital. Last year, Cyngor Gwynedd approved plans to remove the existing helicopter landing site and construct two replacement helipads.
Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board explained there was a “need to upgrade and improve the provision for landing helicopters” at the Penrhosgarnedd facility in Gwynedd.
They added: “The existing service has been very busy, particularly taking into account the fact that the county’s population doubles during the summer months, as well as the presence of Eryri National Park in the area.”
One early commenter, Verbatim comments: “£1m for a bit of ground work? Nice one.”
Fairplayforall adds: “Crush and run plus tarmac or concrete doesn’t cost more than £10k.”
Jnrm states: “All for an average of 3 landings per week (158 pa).”
Cadno asks: “Why do we need more helipads if the plan is to reduce the number of helicopters?”
Redheadboi answer: “There is no plan to reduce the number of helicopters. The plan is to consolidate the number of airbases so that you can staff more crews to fly into the early hours of the morning. A more efficient system to enable 400 extra missions a year. Win, win.”
Iagollewjones says: “At least your beloved tourists will feel safer when they take risks.”
3peaks writes: “Not a chance a million. Unless it’s fixed up on top of the hospital. But A&E is on the ground floor. Who’s quoted this?”
Cooperman1927 says: “Maybe they should concentrate on getting the health board out of special measures first.”
Mut2469 comments: “Tourism to blame again, perhaps you should count how many helicopters fly to North Staffs hospital in Newcastle under Lyme from Wales all year round instead of pointing the finger at tourists again, which you rely on for your economy.”
Redheadboi says: “Who do you think is on board the helicopters on the way to Stoke? Yes thats right a high proportion of them will be tourists having fallen off mountains, crashed their cars, got drunk and struck their heads. All of them stabilised by the Welsh ambulance or at our local hospitals before being flown to a major trauma centre. A major trauma centre that is paid handsomely for its services by Welsh taxpayers.”
PurplePenguin simply states: “Need more staff and patient beds first.”
ThePickledLiver writes: “So 158 patients by helicopter, and only 64 of them come via SAR – PER YEAR – it’s hardly grockles overloading our health system, is it? Wonder how many extra patients the nearest hospital to Glastonbury gets? Or the ones around Edinburgh during their festival? Or the London ones during a football weekend? We’re well aware of the ambulances queueing at YG – the need for two helipads is just extra queueing capacity for rather more expensive ambulances.”
Does North Wales hospitals really need more helipads? Comment below or HERE to join in the debate.