The Princess Royal has made her first official visit to The Grange University Hospital in Cwmbran since it opened in 2020.
Her Royal Highness toured the hospital’s maternity unit and met staff involved in pioneering work to improve cultural competence and inclusion in maternity care. She also unveiled a commemorative plaque to mark the occasion.
The visit highlighted the achievements of Aneurin Bevan University Health Board’s maternity service, which has been recognised with the Diverse Cymru Silver Award for its commitment to personalised and culturally aware care.
Innovations showcased during the visit included:
- A volunteer scheme involving people for whom English is an additional language
- Multilingual resources, including videos for the Roma community
- Specialist clinics supporting people with protected characteristics
- A multi-disciplinary Equality Working Group
Consultant midwife Emma Mills, who received the chief midwifery officer award in 2023 and is a Fellow of the Royal College of Midwives, has played a key role in leading the service’s work.
Ann Lloyd CBE, chair of Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, said: “Today marks a historic moment for The Grange University Hospital and for everyone across our Health Board.
We were honoured to welcome Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal and to showcase the exceptional work of our maternity teams, who are setting national standards in cultural competence and inclusive care.
“This visit was a wonderful recognition of their dedication to ensuring that every person, from every background, receives safe, respectful, and personalised maternity care.”
Jayne Beasley, head of midwifery, said: “It was an absolute privilege to share our journey with The Princess Royal today. Our team is passionate about creating an environment where every person feels valued, understood, and supported.
“The projects we’ve introduced – from community volunteer schemes to multilingual resources – have all come from listening to the voices of the people we serve.
“Today’s visit is a huge honour for our staff and for the communities who have worked with us to make this vision a reality.”