Dr John Trenfield, a consultant in emergency medicine at NGH, and Richard Craske, the chief pilot at Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance, said land they had identified near the entrance to the A&E department, would be ideal for a landng site and would be a major boost to the hospital.

Currently, patients flown to NGH by helicopter are dropped off at a 'secondary' landing site that used to be the playing fields of the former Cliftonville Middle School. However, the delicate transfer by land ambulance can take 20 minutes.

And with only a 'trolley dash' from a helicopter to waiting doctors, it is estimated that up to 30 patients a year could benefit from having a helipad on the NGH site.

Mr Craske said: "Having a helipad so near to A&E would make a huge difference in terms of time.

"A purpose-built landing site would be more efficient and certainly a good development from my point of view."

Dr Trenfield said: "In trauma cases every minute counts and this could certainly save lives in terms of getting patients to A&E as well as save time transferring others from Northampton to specialist hospitals"

Dr Trenfield said the original idea was for a helipad on top of the A&E department, but that was deemed too costly as the building would have to be reinforced.

The issue resurfaced about a year ago and, helped by Michael Ellis, the Conservatives' prospective Parliamentary candidate for Northampton North, the scheme has gradually gained support.

Similar ground-level helipads have cost about £250,000 and, with forecast NHS cutbacks, it is unlikely NGH could fund it.

Mr Ellis said he hoped to persuade the business community to help out.

He said: "My cousin works for an air ambulance service and other family members work at NGH so I realise what an advantage a helipad could be for the town."