Prince Harry speaks of ‘madness’ in UK and the ‘monetary difficulties’ going through the NHS
Prince Harry was mobbed by nurses and other medical staff as he visited Birmingham Children’s Hospital to celebrate 20 years of the WellChild NHS charity nursing programme, helping seriously ill children and their families
The Duke of Sussex, Patron of WellChild, makes a speech to families during a visit to the Birmingham Children’s Hospital
The Duke of Sussex was swarmed by nurses during his visit to a children’s hospital where he discussed the “financial difficulties” plaguing the NHS. Harry toured Birmingham Children’s Hospital in celebration of 20 years of WellChild’s specialist nursing programme, which aids seriously ill children and their families in transitioning from hospital to home.
His visit sparked excitement in the hospital corridors as nurses and other medical staff gathered around him – one female medic even received a hug. Families requested photos and the duke obliged, posing for a group shot with approximately a dozen nurses, expressing his gratitude: “Thank you for everything you do.”
Harry was there to meet two nurses funded by WellChild, a charity that enables early discharge of children by equipping their parents with the necessary skills to provide care at home. He also met some of the young patients.
In a lighter moment, the duke revealed his son’s fondness for toy building bricks while sharing stories with 12 year old Alec Hill and his parents.
“Do you know who’s obsessed with Lego? My son Archie – and he’s a master builder,” Harry shared, sparking rumours that he plans to bring his young son and daughter to visit their grandfather the King later this week.
Addressing a room filled with the charity’s executives, nurses and families, the duke, who is WellChild’s patron, said: “I don’t know if you hear it enough, the difference that you make every single day is quite literally changing daily lives.”
He went on to say: “I understand, and we understand, that becomes harder every week with cuts and financial difficulties… just the insanity that seems to be circulating, not just in this country but in general.
“But hospitals like this don’t run without people like you, and families like this can’t be families that they want to be at home without the expertise and the skill set that you’re handing over to them, and WellChild is right at the centre of that.”
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