Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff has thanked for their “love and compassion” the NHS staff who helped him recover from the car crash he had while filming the Top Gear television show.
The former England cricketer and TV host, who suffered facial injuries in the 2022 accident, said he would be “eternally grateful” to staff at St George’s Hospital in Tooting, southwest London, to where he was airlifted.
Flintoff visited the hospital, which has a major trauma centre, to thank those who nursed him back to health. He said: “I just want to say a massive thank you to all the staff at St George’s.
“I came here probably the lowest I’ve ever been, in need of help. And the expertise, the love, the compassion they showed me was incredible. I’ll be eternally grateful — absolute superheroes.”
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Flintoff’s surgeon said the former all-rounder’s case was one of the most complex he had ever seen.
Jahrad Haq, a consultant surgeon who deals with the face, jaw, mouth and neck, said he remembered receiving the call from the emergency department.
“A lot of injuries are managed at a more junior level before escalating,” he said. “I knew this was serious. Of all the trauma cases I’ve seen in over 20 years, this was among the most complex.”
Flintoff with Jahrad Haq
ST GEORGE’S UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST/PA
Flintoff crashed while driving an open-top Morgan Super 3 that flipped and dragged him about 50m along the track at Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey on December 13, 2022.
He suffered broken teeth, lost teeth and parts of his upper jaw bone were fractured and displaced.
Shamim Umarji, a consultant trauma and orthopaedic surgeon, said Flintoff’s visit gave staff a “real boost”. She added: “He spent a lot of time chatting to everyone and it meant a lot.”
The aftermath of the crash
DISNEY+
Kate Slemeck, managing director of St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said she was “incredibly” proud of the care provided at the hospital.
“It’s always heart-warming to hear from patients about the expert care, compassion and kindness they’ve received from our clinical and support teams,” she added. “This shows the lasting impact they have on people long after they’ve left hospital.”
Flintoff’s facial injuries were so severe that he did not leave his house for six months. He has said that the accident — in which he feared he was going to die — “changed his life”.
Flintoff has opened up about the life-changing facial injuries
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER MARC ASPLAND
It was thought at first that he might never be able to work again. He returned to screens last year, however, to record the second series of Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams in which he teaches teenagers from his home town of Preston, Lancashire, how to play cricket and takes them to India.
The BBC took Top Gear off screens after Flintoff’s crash. He reached a settlement, rumoured to be worth as much as £9 million. His recovery was chronicled in a documentary on Disney+.
He is also coaching the England Lions cricketers, the development side below the national team.