Prince Harry was mobbed by nurses as he walked through Birmingham Children’s Hospital, hugging one female medic and thanking staff for their work amid what he called the “financial difficulties” facing the NHS.
Warm welcome from hospital staff
His appearance caused excitement in the corridors, with nurses surrounding him and families asking for pictures. He posed for a group shot with around a dozen nurses, telling them: “Thank you for everything you do.”
The visit, in his role as patron of WellChild—a charity supporting seriously ill children and their families—marked the 20th anniversary of its WellChild Nurse programme, a national network of more than 50 specialist children’s nurses across the UK.
Speech highlights NHS pressures
In a speech to executives, nurses and families, he said: “I don’t know if you hear it enough, the difference that you make every single day is changing daily lives.” He added: “I understand, and we understand that becomes harder every week with cuts and financial difficulties…just the insanity that that seems to be circulating, not just in this country but in general.”
He emphasised: “But hospitals like this don’t run without people like you, and families like this can’t be families that they want to be at home without the expertise and the skill set that you’re handing over to them and WellChild is right at the centre of that.”
Invictus Games countdown launched
The visit was the first of two days Harry spent in Birmingham. On Friday, July 10, he was at the NEC launching the year-long countdown to the city’s hosting of the Invictus Games. Birmingham will welcome more than 550 wounded, injured and sick service personnel, veterans, and their families from 26 nations, competing in 12 adaptive sports.
Harry took part in sports including pickleball and wheelchair basketball, and was due to give a speech before the event ended. There was no sign of his wife, the Duchess of Sussex, after she failed to join him for engagements in London earlier in the week.
