In 2022, former international cricketer Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff survived a harrowing car accident on the Top Gear test track in Surrey, thanks in part to rapid air ambulance services facilitated by a hospital helipad funded by the Helicopter Emergency Landing Pads (HELP) Appeal. Airlifted to St George’s Hospital in Tooting, Flintoff credits the helipad with playing a “vital step in giving me a second chance.”
Now 47, Flintoff is actively supporting the HELP Appeal, which has successfully funded 32 NHS hospital helipads across the UK and aims to establish 40 more new or upgraded sites. By sharing his personal experience, Flintoff hopes to raise awareness about the lifesaving importance of these facilities.
“When I was airlifted, that helipad wasn’t just a safe landing spot on the hospital roof — it was a critical link to specialist care that ultimately saved my life,” Flintoff explained.
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The significance of on-site helipads is further supported by a recent study led by Professor Sir Keith Porter, Emeritus Professor of Clinical Traumatology at the University of Birmingham. Professor Porter emphasizes that Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) enable rapid delivery of Critical Care Teams directly to patients and swift transport to Major Trauma Centres.
“Any delays caused by secondary land ambulance transfers, due to off-site landing locations, hinder immediate access to essential hospital services such as CT scans and lifesaving surgeries,” said Porter. “In trauma cases involving life-threatening bleeding, every minute lost can mean the difference between life and death.”
The HELP Appeal’s mission to fund on-site hospital helipads facilitates quick transfers from landing site to Emergency Department, supporting the vital principle of getting the “right patient to the right hospital by the right means in the right time.”
Flintoff poignantly summed up the campaign’s call to action: “Just as every cricket pitch has a wicket, every hospital that needs one should have a helipad.”
Robert Bertram, Chief Executive of the HELP Appeal, expressed gratitude for Flintoff’s vocal support, stating, “His story powerfully illustrates why our work matters. Seconds count in emergencies, and the helipad made a crucial difference for him.”
Flintoff’s journey of recovery is featured in the new Disney+ documentary Flintoff, where he recounts the crash that nearly cost him his life. Driving an open-topped Morgan Super 3, his car flipped and slid roughly 50 metres with him trapped face down underneath. Reflecting on his split-second decisions, he said, “I knew if I got hit on the side of the head or temple, I’d be dead. The best chance was to go face down.”
Despite suffering severe injuries to his face and ribs and enduring intense pain for nearly 40 minutes before the air ambulance arrived, Flintoff’s resilience and timely emergency response enabled him to survive and continue his recovery.
His endorsement amplifies the crucial message: upgrading and expanding hospital helipads can profoundly improve patient outcomes and save lives across the country.