Rushes recording the visit by Anne, Princess Royal to open the new Hylton Road Block of the Sunderland District and General Hospital on Thursday 26th May 1994. In the first part she arrives by car and is greeted by executives of the local NHS Trust as well as a small crowd of well wishers. In the second part she takes a tour of the hospital speaking with a number of patients and members of staff. The final part of the film records the official unveiling of a plaque commemorating both the...

Rushes recording the visit by Anne, Princess Royal to open the new Hylton Road Block of the Sunderland District and General Hospital on Thursday 26th May 1994. In the first part she arrives by car and is greeted by executives of the local NHS Trust as well as a small crowd of well wishers. In the second part she takes a tour of the hospital speaking with a number of patients and members of staff. The final part of the film records the official unveiling of a plaque commemorating both the Royal visit as well as opening of the new block. The film begins outside the entrance of the Sunderland District and General Hospital where a small crowd of dignitaries and well-wishers await the arrival of the Princess Royal. A Police Land Rover leads the convoy of Royal vehicles as they turn into the hospital car park and pull up outside the entrance. The Princess Royal opens the rear right hand side door of her Jaguar car and gets out to the applause of a small crowd standing behind barriers nearby.  She meets and shakes hands with a number of dignitaries including the Chairman and Chief Executive of the City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Trust, a representative of the Women's Voluntary Services and the hospital Chaplain. A young nurse presents a bouquet to the Princess who then going inside the hospital. Two small crowds standing behind barriers either side of the hospital entrance, some wave at the camera. The Princess Royal is escorted onto a ward where she speaks with a number of waiting doctors. A matron takes the Princess around the ward past nursing staff either standing at the Nursing Station or in ward doorways. Inside the Dayroom a group of older patients and staff chat with the Princess as she walks around the room. More staff and patients sit or stand in the entrance way of a corridor, some wave at the camera. In another part of the hospital of group of women stand beside a reception window. They are not dressed in uniforms, they laugh and point at one of their colleagues. The Princess Royal and her party come along another corridor and again speak with a different group of doctors waiting in the entrance. A matron takes the Princess past the staff standing near the Nursing Station. She goes into two wards and speaks with a number of male patients and their wives. In the Day Room she speaks with an older gentleman who say's the matron is his girlfriend and the only reason he is there that day is to see her. The Princess Royal smiles before moving onto speak with other in the room. Downstairs in the hospital foyer invited guests chat amongst themselves over drinks. The Princess Royal and her party arrive heading into the Women's Voluntary Services shop where she chats with the staff there. She comes back out into the foyer and is introduced to a number of guests around various tables chatting with each one in turn. Standing on a small platform the Chairman of the City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Trust gives a speech beside the the Princess who stands beside a set of red curtains. On the table in front of the camera is a piece of local glass to be presented to the Princess, the visitors book as well as a portrait photograph will also besigned by her.  Andrew Gibson, Chief Executive of the City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Trust gives a speech after which the three of them come over to table where the Princess signs the visitors book and photo.  Outside the hospital the Princess Royal gets into her car and the Royal party drives away. The small crowd gathered there begin to disperse chatting and smiling as they leave. The film ends back inside the foyer with a number of technicians standing or sitting behind a number of audio visual consoles.