Her Royal Highness Princess Alexandra officially opened the new Acute Medical Triage and Assessment Unit (AMU) at Good Hope Hospital on Friday 27 May.

Princess Alexandra was welcomed to the hospital by Dame Julie Moore, Chief Executive of Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust, and dignitaries including the Deputy Lieutenant, Rashid Gatrad; High Sheriff of West Midlands, Keith Bradshaw; Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Councillor Carl Rice; Mayor of Sutton Coldfield, Councillor Charlotte Hodivala; and Andrew Mitchell, MP for Sutton Coldfield.

Neil Mallett, AMU Matron and Jade Mitchell, AMU Ward Manager, took the Princess on a tour of the unit where she met staff and patients before she unveiled a plaque to mark the occasion.

Dame Julie Moore, Chief Executive, said: “Today was a proud day for our staff who have worked hard to open the new AMU. It was a pleasure to have Princess Alexandra visit us and meet our patients and staff.”

Her Royal Highness Princess Alexandra meeting Stephen Rutter.

The £3.2m AMU is the culmination of over a year’s work by consultants, nurses, nurse practitioners and managers and is purpose-designed to provide rapid initial assessment and management of adult patients who are referred from the Emergency Department or their GP.

The multi-disciplinary team of staff make sure that each patient is placed in the right care setting for their needs and the unit has increased both assessment and short stay capacity and is helping to avoid unnecessary hospital admissions.