Greeted and welcomed on his arrival by Maxine Estop, the Hospital Director, The Duke moved into the main reception area to meet senior members of the Nuffield Health team before visiting parts of the hospital to meet staff and patients.
The hospital has been open to patients for several months, and The Duke was able to meet and talk to patients in the Oncology Day Unit, one of the departments for which the hospital is well known for its excellence. The Duke has an interest in Cancer Research, being Joint President at Cancer Research UK.
The Duke also visited the ward for inpatients, named The Evelyn Ward, where as well as meeting staff, he met Amy Agnew, the great-great-granddaughter of the founder of the original nursing home on the site: The Evelyn. The ward name, linking the old and the new, is appreciated by Cambridge patients and by staff, who remember with affection the original hospital.
Returning to the reception area, His Royal Highness was invited to unveil the plaque commemorating his visit and his official opening of Nuffield Health Cambridge Hospital, in front of staff and invited guests. It was a highlight for everyone, perhaps most of all for Maxine Estop and those members of the team, who saw in the unveiling their project brought to completion.
The commemorative plaque will be mounted on the wall in the reception area.