PRINCESS of Wales Community Hospital has been treating patients in Bromsgrove for 25 years this week, and staff are marking the occasion with a slice of cake and a chat about how far they’ve come.

Several of those who welcomed Princess Diana at the official opening in 1992 are still hard at work today, and Matron Phil Shakeshaft couldn’t be more proud of his team’s commitment to the expanding services the hospital now offers.

He took Advertiser reporter Emily Collis on a tour of the Stourbridge Road facility last week.

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Phil said: “The hospital has changed so much since it opened 25 years ago, but I still don’t think a lot of people really know the depth of services they can get here. We can do IV treatments now whereas before you would have to go to the Alex and we’re starting to do blood transfusions. In the Minor Injuries Unit alone we could be seeing 100 patients a day but people don’t realise what we can treat and how quickly they can be seen.

“We see patients with more complex conditions now, which I think will continue to expand over the next 25 years. There’s also much more of a focus on treating people within the community so we make sure they have the right facilities as we help them to take that step between hospital and recovering at home.”

Last year alone, the Princess of Wales treated 12,289 patients for minor injuries, another 1,000 people on its wards and took more than 9,000 x-rays.

Patients got through 10,617 cylinders of oxygen, 13,000 bed pans and more than five million paper towels, while catering staff prepared a whopping 62,415 meals.

Physiotherapy patient Neil Fox spoke to the Advertiser about his experience.

The 33-year-old maintenance worker said: "I’ve had on-and-off physiotherapy for nearly three years since having a work-related injury, but I’ve never been offered this kind of information before. The staff have been very professional and personal and the physiotherapist went into more depth than ones I’ve had in the past. I’ll definitely be coming back.”

The hospital now employs 538 members of staff, including oldest serving employee Sharon Dixon, who worked as a nurse at the old cottage hospital, before the Princess of Wales was built.

Now the manager of Lickey Ward, Sharon told the Advertiser: “I like it here. It’s got a good reputation and it’s got the ethos of a community hospital, which is different to the acute hospitals. A lot of our patients are local residents in Bromsgrove so people thank you when they see you in town - it’s nice.

“Some people don’t realise the facilities we have here and what we can do – it’s changed so much. It can be quite daunting to leave hospital when you’re sick but our patients do find comfort in the fact that they’re not leaving on their own, because we continue to care for them in the community.”

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Independent charity shop League of Friends has also been serving the hospital since it was built, selling new and used gifts to fund sensory equipment for patients with dementia, specialist stroke chairs and the refurbishment of the Primrose Hospice Ward.

The 25 volunteers are now raising money for a children’s play area and a new multi-faith room, set to open later this year.

To mark the hospital’s 25th birthday this Friday (May 5), staff will be holding an afternoon tea in the hospital restaurant with patients, volunteers and staff, old and new.