Princess Anne opens news Emergency Department at Chesterfield Royal Hospital

HRH The Princess Royal arrived at Chesterfield Royal Hospital to cries of “we love you, Anne” - and one particularly excited dog.

Her appearance had been carefully choreographed to avoid the intermittent showers that had scattered across the town just moments before but, shortly after 1.15pm, her motorcade pulled up outside the new Emergency Department and Her Royal Highness duly set about declaring the premises officially open.

The £27million state-of-the-art build operationally opened on June 21 and has since seen more than 5,000 patients through its doors.

Princess Anne was given a guided tour of the building - stopping momentarily at one point to wave at a dog through the glass windows - before giving a speech in front of staff that had assembled in the glass atrium.

Her Royal Highness declared the development a blueprint for the future of the NHS and said she hoped other Emergency Departments would be able to follow suit.

She said: “I suspect this will attract a lot of interest from, hopefully, a lot of other places that will want to follow this pattern. They may not be able to start with a clean sheet of paper but as a set up this is a hugely good example of what should be in place.

“Whatever the technology does, however many upgrades, it is the work that you do that makes the difference.”

The new development boasts an innovative approach to patient flow with high spec equipment and ultra-modern technology. It has a grounding in the community through locally sourced artwork and is being hailed as ‘a redefining jewel in Chesterfield’s crown’.

Dr Katherine Lendrum, clinical lead for the UECD and ED Consultant, said: “The new Emergency Department is an absolutely amazing facility and we’re honoured to welcome Her Royal Highness to see what we do, how and where. It’s vital that people really do take note and only come to ED when they really need it!

“The new department is already working incredibly hard and is managing patients in a really efficient and safe way – we know that we’re providing better care and a better all-round experience for people – so it’s great that we’re able to take a moment and show our services to such a highly esteemed guest. We know that staff and patients – as well as the communities of Chesterfield will really see this as us redefining Chesterfield and showing that we’re fit for the future and providing a dedicated service which is second to none – by staff who really care.”

Dr Hal Spencer, Chief Executive of the Trust, said: “This is a truly fantastic facility for the hospital and the communities we serve and to have HRH The Princess Royal come to officially open it is a real coup for colleagues and the community. I’m very proud of the skills, experience and hard work that have gone into shaping our new Emergency Department and to be able to show this to a member of the Royal family – based on our history – is even more rewarding.

“It feels very apt to welcome HRH The Princess Royal officially open our ED: She was last here in 2009, when she opened the children and young people’s outpatients department we call ‘The Den’ and before that she opened The Scarsdale Maternity and Gynaecology Wing in 1990 – so this is third time very lucky! We’re very grateful and appreciate this historical moment means a lot to the people of Chesterfield and Derbyshire.”