Princess Anne to visit Shropshire and Mid Wales next week

She will officially open the state-of-the-art Women and Children's unit at Telford's Princess Royal Hospital on Tuesday, adding the final seal of approval to the £28 million facility.

The royal day is set to begin at Harper Adams University, Edgmond, where when the Princess will be met by Lord Lieutenant Sir Algernon Heber-Percy before going on to open the new Veterinary Services Centre and the Entomology Laboratories.

The Veterinary Centre which includes a Companion Animal House and a cutting-edge hydrotherapy suite, will be used in the teaching of veterinary nursing and physiotherapy students. The new entomology centre will support both teaching and research.

At the PRH Princess Royal Hospital, she the royal visitor will tour the new women and children's centre which opened to patients at the end of September and is now the main inpatient facility for women and children in Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and Mid Wales.

Princess Anne will be met by Professor Peter Latchford, Chair of The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust and Trust Chief Executive Peter Herring.

Among the staff she will meet will be Cathy Smith, Women and Children's Care Group director and head of midwifery.

She will visit areas including the Children's Oncology and Haematology Department, the Postnatal Ward, the Walker Trust Suite and the Neonatal Ward. She will then be invited to unveil a plaque marking the official opening.

Ms Smith said: "We are really looking forward to welcoming the Princess Royal to officially open our fantastic centre which is an excellent facility for women and children in Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and Mid Wales. The visit is timely, coming a week after our services were highlighted as good.

"Inspectors said the opening of the Centre had a positive impact, particularly on Consultant-led Maternity Services and inpatient Paediatrics."