Princess Anne has returned to the intensive care unit where she was treated for head injuries last year to “fill in the blanks” and thank medics for her care. The Princess Royal, 74, spent five nights at Southmead Hospital in Bristol following a serious incident with a horse at her home in Gloucestershire on June 23. The King’s sister had set out alone and on foot to feed her chickens before becoming involved in an incident, where she is believed to have been struck from behind by a horse, that left her concussed and badly bruised.
The Princess was rushed to hospital by ambulance and was treated as an in-patient before being discharged on June 28 to convalesce at home. At the time Buckingham Palace said she had been admitted "as a precautionary measure for observation”, but the princess today revealed the true horror of the accident. On her return to the hospital, Anne met paramedics and members of the critical care team who treated her at the scene, as well as those who cared for her in the ICU, which had not previously been known.
The Princess told hospital staff that it was “useful” to meet them as she was still unable to recall what happened. After touring the intensive care unit and chatting to several medics, including Morwenna Maddock, the ICU matron who oversaw her care, the Princess gave a short speech thanking them for their efforts. “You’ve been filling in the blanks, which partly, from my perspective, is really useful to know how it happened, because I seriously don't have any idea, and sadly, I don't have huge memories of being in here either,” she said.
“But I just know I was really well looked after, so thank you. But whatever you did, it seemed to work…. the recovery has been relatively straightforward, thankfully. That isn't always true, so I’m really grateful. “But I'm also grateful in a weird sort of way that I remember nothing, because that has huge advantages - you can just carry on.”. Two days after the incident, Anne's husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence told reporters outside the hospital she was "doing fine" adding her recovery was "slow but sure".
Three weeks later, Anne appeared at her first royal engagement sporting severe bruising under her left eye, saying: “I can't remember a single thing.". Her appearance at the Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) National Championships at Hartpury University and Hartpury College was cut down to just two hours to compensate for her state at the time. Appearing to joke about her horses today/yesterday (THURS) and which one may have been responsible for her injuries, Anne added: “I don't know if there was a perpetrator who managed to do that much damage… they’re not letting on either, so relationships remain absolutely secure. No one has gone absent as a result of this.”.
Among those who treated the Princess was Steven Pullin, a volunteer community responder, who was the first on the scene at Gatcombe Park. An air ambulance crew was next to arrive followed by a second critical care team and an ambulance with paramedics on board, which eventually took her to hospital. James Teakle, an emergency care assistant who drove the ambulance, recalled that the journey took 34 minutes.
“I know the area so could work out who it was,” he said. “It was just another job, but a person of importance. I wouldn’t have done anything different for anyone else.”. The Princess also met paramedic Sophie Taylor, who also accompanied her to the hospital, and the two-man critical care team who had the necessary skillset to treat her at the scene, doctor Richard Jeavons and specialist paramedic Callum Sutton, who work for Great Western Air Ambulance Charity.
Maria Kane, chief executive of North Bristol NHS Trust, thanked the Princess for taking time out from her busy schedule to meet those involved in her care. “We feel very privileged to have you come and see us,” she said. “I know staff who talked to you earlier today have been very, very grateful to hear that you've made such a lovely recovery and look so well today. After the visit, Ms Maddock said: “She does look incredibly well, it was lovely. It was really nice for her to come back and see the team. She very kindly thanked us all.”.
On patients returning to the hospital after they have been discharged, she added: “It doesn't happen all the time, so it's really important for our staff to see that their hard work has paid off. “We often don't see that onward journey and their recovery. So actually, to see them coming back, looking so well, looking so fit, and how they are normally, pre hospital, it's a good feeling.”. Ms Maddock said that many patients were unable to remember their stay in hospital, adding: “That's really, very common and it's just nice to be able to piece it all back together for her.”.
