Hospital gets royal opening

The Princess Royal arrived in Staffordshire in driving rain – but was given a much warmer welcome at the Samuel Johnson Community Hospital in Lichfield.

The Princess arrived by helicopter to officially open the £18 million facility.

She was given a guided tour of the hospital by Anne Heckels, managing director of provider services for South Staffordshire PCT.

Mrs Heckels said: “We were very proud to show Princess Anne around the hospital and she spent a lot of time talking to the patients and actually really gave the staff a chance to talk to her.”