8:30 am, March 1, 2017
YOUNG patients needing surgery at a hospital in West Sussex can now drive themselves to the operating theatre – in a specially-crafted Rolls-Royce!
The car is being handed over today to the paediatric day surgery unit at St Richard’s Hospital, Chichester, the home town of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.
It’s hoped the experience will reduce the stress levels of the young patients, and the corridors between the wards and the operating theatre have even been lined with traffic signs!
The famous manufacturer recently welcomed two test drivers from the paediatric unit at St Richard’s, Molly Matthews and Hari Rajyaguru, to the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood.
Their visit served as final validation and pre-delivery inspection of the car – the Rolls-Royce SRH – ahead of today’s official handover to the patients, their families and the day surgery team at St Richard’s.
In true Rolls-Royce style, the two children and their families enjoyed VIP hospitality with one notable addition to the usual customer experience.
Molly and Hari both enjoyed first drives on the Rolls-Royce production line, an exceptionally rare privilege usually reserved for the marque’s chief executive during the validation process for new model families.
Torsten Müller-Ötvös, CEO of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, said: ‘We are a proud member of the community here in West Sussex. The paediatric unit at St Richard’s Hospital does vital work in providing essential care to young people and their families.
‘We hope that the Rolls‑Royce SRH will serve to make the experience for young people during treatment a little less stressful.’
Created from the ground-up by Rolls-Royce’s bespoke manufacturing team, the car is specified with a two-tone paint-scheme of Andalusian White and Salamanca Blue and finished with a hand-applied St James Red coachline.
The interior space is appointed with the same finesse and attention to detail afforded to every Rolls-Royce patron, with the two-tone steering wheel, seats and self-righting wheel centres perfectly colour-matched to the St James Red coachline. A top speed of 10mph is achieved courtesy of power derived from a 24 volt gel battery that propels the car with the same quietness as Rolls-Royce’s V12 engines.
The bespoke manufacturing team devoted more than 400 hours of their own time to developing and hand-crafting the car.
Lawrie Mewse, project leader of the Rolls-Royce SRH, said: ‘I am immensely proud of what the team has achieved. This project showcases the amazing skills and technology that exist in the bespoke manufacturing team and across every area at the Home of Rolls Royce. However, the most important thing is giving back to the local community and having a positive impact for children and their parents during their time in hospital.’
Marianne Griffiths, chief executive of Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: ‘Just like the joy it will bring to our young patients, the Rolls-Royce SRH is simply priceless. It is a very special gift.
‘I would like to say a heartfelt thank you to Rolls-Royce Motor Cars and especially the small team who volunteered so much of their own time in support of St Richard’s Hospital in Chichester and the children we care for.’
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