Efforts to increase bus services to Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton have been complicated by government regulations related to the hospital’s helipad operations. Since May 2010, Musgrove Park has benefited from a working helipad outside its A&E department, enabling quick air ambulance responses to emergencies in remote areas.
The Somerset Bus Partnership, in collaboration with Somerset Council, has been striving to boost the frequency of buses serving the hospital. Their aim is to ease traffic congestion on local roads and alleviate pressure on the hospital’s existing multi-storey car park. However, these plans have hit a roadblock due to national policies regulating vehicle activity near active helipads.
Taunton campaigner David Northey highlighted this issue at a virtual meeting of the council’s bus advisory board—comprising councillors, officers, bus operators, and transport campaigners. He explained, “The hospital has informed us that a national policy on helicopter arrivals and departures limits the number of buses that can enter the hospital grounds. This restriction does not appear to apply equally to cars, which is a concern.”
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The hospital is currently served by regular buses from Taunton’s park and ride sites, with recent improvements facilitating better connections for passengers from the west Somerset area. However, the Civil Aviation Authority’s 2024 updated guidance on helicopter landing areas at hospitals has tightened safety measures.
The guidance requires “additional road markings” near helipads to deter stationary traffic, including buses, cars, and taxis. It specifies that designated zones such as red routes, no-waiting areas, and hatched markings must be established to prevent vehicles from parking or waiting where they might become hazards or interfere with helicopter operations, especially due to rotor down-wash.
In response, Mr. Northey and the Somerset Bus Partnership plan to meet with the estates team at Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, which manages the hospital, to explore potential solutions. “We want to see if additional bus services can be introduced safely without compromising patient safety,” he said. “This area of Taunton is critical, and we’re hopeful we can find options to improve bus connectivity.”