Milestone highlights the charity’s role in transforming emergency access to Major Trauma Centres and A&E hospitals
The HELP Appeal, the only charity in the country dedicated to funding NHS hospital helipads, has announced that there have been more than 35,000 helicopter landings on HELP Appeal-funded helipads across Great Britain.
The landmark achievement underlines the charity’s significant contribution to improving access to emergency and specialist care for critically ill and seriously injured patients. To date, the HELP Appeal has funded 55 helipad projects, including 32 brand-new hospital helipads that have collectively received over 35,000 helicopter landings, alongside 23 major helipad upgrades that have enhanced patient access and operational capability.
The figures demonstrate the vital role hospital helipads play in delivering patients rapidly to specialist care, reducing transfer times and helping ensure patients receive the right treatment as quickly as possible.
Britain’s busiest hospital helipads
The UK’s five busiest hospital helipads recorded more than 1,500 emergency helicopter landings during 2025:
- Southampton General Hospital – 322 landings
- King’s College Hospital, London – 319 landings
- Southmead Hospital, Bristol – 318 landings
- Raigmore Hospital, Inverness – 300 landings
- Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow – 282 landings
Recent funding announcements
This year alone, new HELP Appeal-funded helipads have opened at the Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton; Royal Preston Hospital and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, King’s Lynn. The charity also announced it would cover the entire cost of helipads at Ysbyty Gwynedd (Bangor Hospital) which is the HELP Appeal’s first donation in Wales and will be the first dual hospital helipad in the country. It is also funding an emergency helipad on the Isle of Arran. Both are due to open this year.
Cross party support for hospital helipads
The milestone comes as the HELP Appeal welcomed a major new report from the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Air Ambulances. Critical Moments, Life-Saving Infrastructure: The Case for Safeguarded 24/7 On-Site Hospital Helipads highlights significant variation in hospital helipad provision across Britain and calls for safeguarded 24/7 on-site helipad access at all Major Trauma Centres and specialist hospitals.
The APPG report calls for the Government to provide national leadership, remove legislative barriers, and enable a coordinated national approach, to ensure that every patient can benefit from direct access to specialist care, regardless of where they are injured or become critically ill. Having already funded the delivery of a wide range of hospital helipad infrastructure projects, the HELP Appeal is well placed to continue to support current and future requirements. To find out more, click HERE.
Robert Bertram, Chief Executive of the HELP Appeal, said:
“Reaching 35,000 helicopter landings on HELP Appeal-funded helipads is an extraordinary milestone and demonstrates the lifesaving impact that this infrastructure delivers every single day.
“Over the past 15 years we have helped transform emergency access to major trauma and specialist hospitals throughout Great Britain, ensuring thousands of critically ill and seriously injured patients reach the care they need as quickly as possible.
“The APPG report clearly shows that significant gaps in provision still remain, with too many patients experiencing unnecessary secondary transfers that can delay treatment.
“While we are immensely proud of what has been achieved, our work is far from complete. With new projects progressing in Wales, Scotland and England, and further hospitals seeking our support, we remain committed to ensuring that every patient can benefit from rapid access to life-saving hospital care.”
Beyond hospital helipads, the charity has also funded air ambulance bases and more than 40 critical care cars, helping strengthen emergency care infrastructure across the country.
