Princess Anne visited Southmead Hospital in Bristol to reunite with the doctors and nurses who cared for her after she suffered concussion and minor head injuries in an accident last June. She spent five nights in the hospital and did not return to public royal duties until almost three weeks later after receiving rehabilitation support at home. The accident occurred at her Gloucestershire home, where she was believed to have been struck by a horse’s head or legs.
The Princess Royal, who has no memory of the accident, recently visited the hospital’s intensive care unit (ICU) to hear from staff about their work. Southmead Hospital is a regional specialist ICU for departments such as major trauma, neurosciences, plastic surgery, burns, and infectious diseases. The hospital admits more than 2,000 patients each year and is one of the busiest in the country. Princess Anne also toured the hospital’s air ambulance helicopter pad and staff garden.
Southmead Hospital Charity is launching a fundraising appeal to raise over £400,000 for a walkerbot device that helps stroke survivors and patients with neurological conditions relearn how to walk. The charity aims to transform the lives of these patients by restoring independence and mobility. North Bristol NHS Trust, which operates Southmead Hospital, is one of the largest hospital trusts in the UK with over 13,000 staff. Donations to support the fundraising appeal can be made on the charity’s website.
