Health chiefs in Brighton have issued a warning to drone owners now that the Royal Sussex County Hospital helipad has gone live.
They are concerned that drones flown too close to the helicopter landing pad could force pilots to have to divert to another hospital, losing valuable time and putting lives at risk.
And their concern is heightened by the nature of the flights, bringing some of the most seriously injured patients to the hospital at a point at times when every second counts.
University Hospitals Sussex, the NHS trust that runs the Royal Sussex, said: “Even though there isn’t any formal controlled airspace around the helipad, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) does specifically mention hospital helicopter landing sites in its regulations.
“This means it’s actually illegal to fly a drone close to a helipad without permission.
“Specifically, drones cannot be flown within 150 metres of any commercial building and that includes all of our hospital buildings, unless approved by the hospital.
“These helicopter flights have someone critically ill or injured on board where time really matters and any drone activity will force the pilots to divert the flight away from the hospital helipad.
“Please help us keep this vital lifesaving facility safe and operational for the benefit of patients.”
The £16 million helideck, on top of the Thomas Kemp Tower, went live last month after test flights started in late February.
It is understood that, since then, air ambulances have already flown more than half a dozen critically ill or injured patients to the Royal Sussex for emergency life-saving treatment.
It all seemed to be ok when the helicopters were landing at East Brighton Park, where everyone goes to fly drones.