The helipad was supported a £630,000 donation from the HELP Appeal, the only charity in the country dedicated to funding NHS hospital helipads.

Paul McNeillie, Northumbria Healthcare's deputy director responsible for the project, said: ‘We are delighted that the helipad is now open and ready for use, as this is a key facility to support timely, life-saving care across the large area we cover in Northumberland and North Tyneside.

‘We remain very grateful to the HELP Appeal for its generous donation and would also like to thank Cramlington Juniors Football Club, who allowed us to use their field in the interim to ensure there was somewhere for emergency helicopters to land.'

Kris Lawson, an emergency care consultant at the Northumbria hospital who also works for Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS), said: ‘Our trust covers an enormous area and some patients are a long way from hospital.

‘GNAAS can bring hospital-level care direct to the patient. This upgraded helipad allows much easier transport into hospital for these critically ill and injured patients and will offer significant benefit to people in our region.'

The new helipad is part of a wider project taking place at the hospital, which is being managed by the trust's estates subsidiary, Northumbria Healthcare Facilities Management.