Berwick man recalls the day he was flown to hospital by the Great North Air Ambulance Service after motorbike accident

In May 2022, Philip Heywood was heading out to a work job for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions began when he was involved in a collision with a car.

He had two operations whilst at the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) in Newcastle – it was found that he had broken his collarbone, he had two open fractures to his femurs and his knee had exploded.

Philip said: “I remember it was a beautiful day. I am a contractor and was projecting managing a job for the Scottish Government.

“I was riding on the English side of the border on a road I am familiar with and made a mistake while overtaking a car. I went flying through the air and landed in a ditch on my back.

“I remember just lying there staring at the sky.”

The 54-year-old recalls looking down and noticing that his foot was at a right angle.

He said: “I thought to myself, with a leg in that state, I’m not sure if it will be recoverable. I could also see a lump sticking through my jeans and the lump was seeping blood, which was from my bone.

“I remember it all, nothing is a blur. I was lying there watching the clouds go past and time really seemed to slow down before the pain hit me.

“I felt quite relaxed – which must have been the adrenaline.”

Drivers stopped to help Philip and he asked them to locate his phone to call his wife, Colleen.

He said: “I still had my helmet on and they held the phone up to my ear. I rang her and I thought I am going to have to be calm here.

“I said I have been in an accident, but I am fine, and I am just waiting for the ambulance. I didn’t want to burden her by telling her about my injuries.

“My wife has Parkinson’s disease, and already has a bit to deal with, so I didn’t want to exaggerate that.”

The Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) arrived on scene and told Mr Heywood they would need to straighten his leg.

Philip said: “The team kept me calm and administered painkillers. They were so confident – they just knew exactly what they were doing.

“The service is just amazing and I didn’t realise it was a charity. I kept thinking about what would have happened without it.”

GNAAS flew him to the RVI, where he stayed for three weeks.

Philip added: “I had two operations while at the RVI and had a cardiac arrest while under the anaesthetic for one of them.

“Today, through physio, I can walk with a limp and manage around 1.5 miles.

“I just want to give my sincere thanks to everyone.”

GNAAS does not receive Government funding and is dependent on donations to survive. To donate, or find out more about the charity, go to www.gnaas.com