Luton and Dunstable University Hospital’s fundraising drive to build an onsite helipad linked to its Emergency and Critical Care services has got off to a flying start, thanks to a donation of £2m from the HELP appeal – the only charity in the country dedicated to funding hospital helipads.

The £2m donation means the Luton & Dunstable (L&D) fundraising appeal to raise a total of £5.4 million to build a helipad, is firmly off the ground. Having a helipad on the hospital site will help people across the local area to get the specialist care they need, as quickly as possible – saving precious minutes saves precious lives.

When someone suffers a major trauma the quicker they receive specialist emergency care the more likely it is that they treatment will prevent death or serious disability.  Helicopters offer a much quicker and more reliable method of transporting critically ill patients to hospital compared to a land ambulance.

Chairman of the L&D, Simon Linnett, said: “This generous support from the HELP Appeal is a real lifesaver, and not only in terms of its monetary value.  By working closely alongside them we are benefiting from their vast experience and expertise, helping us to create the most up to date infrastructure, ensuring it is located in the best place for patients to access the care they need.  This isn’t just for patients who suffer traumatic events such as car accidents or bad falls, it will also be used by people who have heart attacks and strokes and need immediate emergency care in a specialist unit.

“We are so grateful to the HELP Appeal for their support and guidance and look forward to working with them to deliver our exciting new Helipad.”

Robert Bertram, Chief Executive of the HELP Appeal added: “We had no hesitation in helping the hospital to eradicate the need for a secondary transfer by road ambulance after a critically ill patient lands, as this can seriously affect their chances of recovery.

“With a new, state of the art helipad, they will be brought directly to the emergency department after landing, for the vital treatment that they urgently need. We are delighted that our £2 million donation will really help to kick start their campaign.”