PLANS to fly some patients to hospital by helicopter to ease the burden on road ambulances have been unveiled.

The Yorkshire Air Ambulance says it wants to set up a network of landing sites for night-time patient transfers.

The charity believes the proposals will reduce the pressure on road ambulances and cut journey times for patients.

The charity is using almost £250,000 raised by fans of television presenter Richard Hammond to lease a second helicopter to fly at night.

The air ambulance flew Mr Hammond to Leeds General Infirmary following his high-speed crash at Elvington airfield, near York, in September.

Martin Eede, chief executive of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, said the landing site proposals are in response to the potential closure of accident and emergency departments around the country, which will put extra stress on the ambulance service.

"Land ambulances would pick patients up and transfer them to the landing sites where the air ambulance would be waiting to transfer the patient on," he said.

"Each site would need clear access for both land and air ambulance and would require landing lights to be available to be switched on just before the air ambulance arrives and off again immediately after take-off.

"This has clear advantages for patients in rural communities and for the ambulance service in that it frees valuable resources from long journeys by road, but has obvious resource implications for the charity."

He said it was hoped the charity would also be able to work with doctors from medical charity Basics to provide a night service.

A feasibility study on the patient and economic benefits of the plan will be carried out and discussions opened with the strategic health authority on funding the air ambulance for night-time transfers.