Post by RedMoon11 on Jan 17, 2014 14:47:59 GMT
Top Gear's Richard Hammond Opens New Unit At Birmingham Children's Hospital
TV presenter cuts the ribbon at new-look A&E Department at city centre hospital
Top Gear star Richard Hammond unveiled a revamped Emergency Department at Birmingham Children’s Hospital and said: “I owe my life to medical staff like these.’’
The Solihull-born TV presenter was joined by wife Mindy to open the £800,000 unit, which boasts a brand new entrance, a fully refurbished observations ward and new cubicles.
The new-look department was funded in part by the Free Radio Walkathon, which saw thousands of local people pounding the 26-mile No.11 bus route to raise money.
Hammond has a personal link to the hospital as Mindy’s godson Jobe Taylor-Davis was treated there when he suffered serious head injuries after being kicked by a horse.
He said: “Jobe was here with a nasty head injury some time ago. And he is genuinely only alive today thanks to the work of the amazing staff in this place.
“I have said it about myself – there are nursing and medical staff to which I owe my life.
“Anything that can be done to make life easier and more efficient for them is so important.’’
Richard and Mindy toured the unit with Callum Read, aged 11, who had once been a regular visitor due to frequent chest infections caused by scoliosis.
His mum Lucie, 48 and from Kings Heath, said: “It looks amazing, and I’m trying to get my bearings as it looks so different.
“In Callum’s early years we practically lived here. It can be a stressful time but we always had complete confidence in the amazing treatment he was getting.”
Other changes to the department include an extended waiting area, new staff offices and a dedicated entrance.
Hammond, who is a former pupil at Solihull School, added; “I was born and raised in Birmingham, generations of my family have lived in Birmingham so obviously there is a tie here.
“This whole place is growing in importance and I think people nationally are realising this is a really significant operation here and an important place and they do some staggeringly good work.”
Meanwhile, Top Gear fans can expect the return of the popular motoring show at the end of January – and ‘The Hamster’ joked the show would be going ‘high-brow’.
He said: “We have suddenly become really grown up and serious. It’s more of a platform for political debate...’’
But then he added: ‘‘After all the important work that people do here, we are back to the usual nonsensical waste of time stuff that we do.
"It’s just three grown men messing about in cars.”
www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/top-gears-richard-hammond-birmingham-6496979#.UtGtS3ZjsXc.twitter
*There is a video and a photo gallery at the link*
TV presenter cuts the ribbon at new-look A&E Department at city centre hospital
Top Gear star Richard Hammond unveiled a revamped Emergency Department at Birmingham Children’s Hospital and said: “I owe my life to medical staff like these.’’
The Solihull-born TV presenter was joined by wife Mindy to open the £800,000 unit, which boasts a brand new entrance, a fully refurbished observations ward and new cubicles.
The new-look department was funded in part by the Free Radio Walkathon, which saw thousands of local people pounding the 26-mile No.11 bus route to raise money.
Hammond has a personal link to the hospital as Mindy’s godson Jobe Taylor-Davis was treated there when he suffered serious head injuries after being kicked by a horse.
He said: “Jobe was here with a nasty head injury some time ago. And he is genuinely only alive today thanks to the work of the amazing staff in this place.
“I have said it about myself – there are nursing and medical staff to which I owe my life.
“Anything that can be done to make life easier and more efficient for them is so important.’’
Richard and Mindy toured the unit with Callum Read, aged 11, who had once been a regular visitor due to frequent chest infections caused by scoliosis.
His mum Lucie, 48 and from Kings Heath, said: “It looks amazing, and I’m trying to get my bearings as it looks so different.
“In Callum’s early years we practically lived here. It can be a stressful time but we always had complete confidence in the amazing treatment he was getting.”
Other changes to the department include an extended waiting area, new staff offices and a dedicated entrance.
Hammond, who is a former pupil at Solihull School, added; “I was born and raised in Birmingham, generations of my family have lived in Birmingham so obviously there is a tie here.
“This whole place is growing in importance and I think people nationally are realising this is a really significant operation here and an important place and they do some staggeringly good work.”
Meanwhile, Top Gear fans can expect the return of the popular motoring show at the end of January – and ‘The Hamster’ joked the show would be going ‘high-brow’.
He said: “We have suddenly become really grown up and serious. It’s more of a platform for political debate...’’
But then he added: ‘‘After all the important work that people do here, we are back to the usual nonsensical waste of time stuff that we do.
"It’s just three grown men messing about in cars.”
www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/top-gears-richard-hammond-birmingham-6496979#.UtGtS3ZjsXc.twitter
*There is a video and a photo gallery at the link*
