Anne’s cheer for patients (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Anne’s cheer for patients

3:33pm Thursday 2nd March 2006 in Swindon

DAILY routines at the Great Western Hospital came to a halt as Princess Anne officially opened the Brunel NHS Treatment Centre.

The Princess Royal toured the state-of-the-art building, stopping to chat to staff and patients on her way.

And there were some surprised faces from patients in the centre's waiting rooms as the royal visitor glided past.

The 128-bed unit, which cost £32 million, first opened its doors in April last year with the promise that no operations would need to be cancelled in the future.

It caters for patients who need elective surgery such as ear, nose and throat, orthopaedics and general surgery.

The Royal visit was organised by the Swindon and Marlborough NHS Trust, which runs the Brunel Treatment Centre, to unveil a special commemorative plaque.

Staff at Carillion Health the company responsible for maintenance spent two days busily cleaning the 2,500 windows and polishing floors to make sure the building looked in tip-top condition.

As two black BMW 4X4 cars pulled up outside the centre, silence fell over the reception area.

The princess, wearing a dark green and burgundy suit, was greeted by the Lord Lieutenant for Wiltshire, John Bush, and was closely followed by bodyguards from the Royal Protection Squad.

She then spent about 15 minutes speaking to Swindon Mayor Ray Fisher, North Swindon MP Michael Wills, Patsy Newton, the chairwoman of the Swindon and Marlborough NHS Trust, and Lyn Hill-Tout, its chief executive.

Her first point of call was the Meldon Ward, where she met staff and orthopaedic and elective surgery patients, before visiting the theatre floor where she chatted to staff and met members of the Recovery Area team.

The tour moved on to the Cherwell Unit, a pre-assessment unit, where she met Trust and Carillion staff.

Senior sister Gillian Taylor nervously waited to greet the Princess.

After speaking to her, she felt relieved everything had gone to plan.

"I did feel a bit nervous as she came towards me but it was absolutely fine," she said. "She is a really nice lady and not as formal as you would expect.

"We chatted about the benefits of pre-assessment and how we meet the expectations of the patients."

She added: "I have met the princess once before when she opened Greendown School although I don't think she recognised me."

As the princess made her way to the Shalbourne Suite, to talk to more patients, those in the waiting area were surprised to see the VIP.

Angela Baker, 44, of Albany Close, said: "I feel totally shocked. It's unbelievable to see someone like that when you are waiting for your appointment."

And Terry Davis, 53, of Lawn, who was lying in a hospital bed with his leg in a bandage, was thrilled to have a Royal guest in his private room.

"She was a very nice lady," he said. "We talked about the book I am reading (Rules of Engagement by Tim Collins) and I told her I wasn't sure if I liked being in a room without any other patients in it."

As she unveiled the silver plaque, the princess said: "I'm delighted to do this and thank you for the invite. The centre is a great addition to the facilities already here at the site."

She also met four-year-old Melissa Butler.

The visit ended with a buffet lunch which included canapes and sandwiches filled with smoked salmon.