HELP Appeal Trustee, Toby Askin, was invited to see Salford Royal’s helipad recently and learn more about its vital role in emergency care for the most critically ill in the region.

The state-of-the-art helipad, which was made possible by a £2 million donation from the HELP Appeal, the only charity in the UK dedicated to funding NHS hospital helipads, is part of the country’s first standalone Major Trauma Hospital. The helipad’s design features a unique lift shaft that offers direct access from the rooftop to the Emergency Department – a UK first and a groundbreaking innovation that saves critical time for patients in urgent need of lifesaving treatment.

Previously, air ambulance patients were required to land in a nearby sports field and then be transported to the hospital’s Emergency Department by road ambulance. With the new helipad now in place, the time-saving benefit is clear – it cuts down the patient transfer time by 20 vital minutes, which can make all the difference in life-threatening situations.

The innovative helipad is not just a critical asset for Salford Royal but for the entire North West region, offering faster response times, greater efficiency in emergency care, and improved patient outcomes.