The Princess of York “delighted” staff and patients at a hospital by opening a new spinal cord injury centre.

Princess Eugenie visited the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital (RNOH), Stanmore, on Friday, July 7.

Eugenie, who became patron of the RNOH Charity’s Redevelopment Appeal after being treated at the hospital for scoliosis as a child, spoke to patients and heard their stories of how their lives have been transformed by being treated at the RNOH.

She said: “The London Spinal Cord Injury Centre is internationally renowned for the quality of its care. It is a centre of excellence, providing services that local hospitals and A&E departments cannot.

“This expansion means that The Centre will be able to offer its package of world-class rehabilitation to many more people per year than it was able to previously.

“I have had an opportunity to meet some of the staff who run this unit and have been impressed by their dedication and sensitivity. Their patients are given round-the-clock care, and each of their individual needs is catered for.”

The new wing is part of the expansion of the centre and will help ensure that patients with spinal cord injuries receive the specialist care they so desperately need in a much quicker time frame.

Rob Hurd, chief executive of the RNOH explained: “Currently, patients with spinal injuries can wait months for transfer from local hospitals to Stanmore to get the specialist help they need.

“In that time outreach staff visit the patients and outline care plans, but patients have to endure a frustrating wait to be transferred – this can delay their recovery, impact on their mental health and can sometimes lead to secondary - but potentially serious complications.

“The LSCIC’s new wing will significantly improve the speed with which spinal cord-injured patients receive the specialist care they need and, most importantly, will improve patient’s recovery times.”