Princess Kate: Princess of Wales visits Evelina London Children’s Hospital to support expansion plans

Catherine, Princess of Wales, widely known as Princess Kate, visited Evelina London Children’s Hospital on Monday in her role as the hospital’s patron. During the visit, she met patients, families and healthcare staff and learned about the hospital’s plans to expand specialist children’s services.

The Princess spent time with children receiving treatment and spoke with their families about their experiences. She also thanked medical staff for their work and discussed the hospital’s future development.

Hospital leaders briefed the Princess on Evelina London’s long-term strategy, which includes bringing more specialist children’s services together at St Thomas’ Hospital.

She toured Edward Ward, the hospital’s new children’s cardiac ward, and Galaxy Outpatients, a dedicated facility for young heart patients attending clinics and diagnostic appointments.

These child-focused facilities now support the temporary transfer of children’s heart, lung and critical care inpatient services from Royal Brompton Hospital.

Furthermore, hospital officials outlined plans for Evelina London to become the future provider of highly specialised children’s cancer and blood and marrow transplant services across south London and much of southeast England.

The new programme will unite specialist teams from The Royal Marsden, St George’s Hospital and Evelina London. As a result, children will receive a broader range of expert care in a single location.

Hospital representatives said the expansion will increase capacity for specialist treatment, surgery, diagnostic services and critical care. Since opening in 2005, the hospital has seen demand for its services triple and now cares for around 104,000 children and young people each year.

In addition, the team shared plans for a new hospital building that is expected to open in the early 2030s. They also highlighted the fundraising role of Evelina London Children’s Charity in supporting the project.

Gubby Ayida, Chief Executive Officer of Evelina London Women’s and Children’s Clinical Group, welcomed the Princess and said her visit provided an opportunity to showcase the hospital’s vision for delivering more specialist care under one roof.

Meanwhile, Mandy Sekhon, whose three-year-old son Arjun met the Princess, described the visit as an unforgettable experience. She said the Princess showed genuine interest in her son’s recovery and asked how the family was coping.

Rob Halkyard, Executive Director of Evelina London Children’s Charity, said the visit boosted morale among staff, patients and supporters while highlighting the importance of charitable contributions to the hospital’s expansion.

Princess Kate previously visited Evelina London in 2023 to officially open the Children’s Day Surgery Unit. During her latest visit, she returned to see how the facility has developed and how it now supports a growing range of specialist children’s services.