PATIENTS and staff at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital enjoyed a chat with the Princess Royal yesterday.

Princess Anne was visiting the trust for the official opening of the new Jigsaw Building, which houses advanced facilities for the treatment of cancer and blood disorders, as well as a new women’s health unit.

Speaking at the launch event she praised the work which had gone into designing the building, and highlighted the importance of its technical advances.

“My thanks for all of you who make this possible, because when bringing together these elements with these changes you do need to think how you provide these treatments,” she said.

“It’s nice to see how the hospital has evolved and is evolving.”

On her tour of the multi-million pound building, which was funded through two Bournemouth Hospital Charity ‘Jigsaw Appeals’ as well as NHS investment, she spoke with patients receiving treatment in the chemotherapy unit.

Among them, Brian Ellison, 64, said: “She asked how long I have been coming here and what do I think of the facilities, and I said it is marvellous.

“You have got privacy but you are not isolated.”

Another patient, Kate Foxall, 32, said: “She asked whether I had been here before.

“It’s a nice building. It’s lovely. Bright and I love the big pictures and it feels less clinical.”

Senior staff nurse Marie Miller said: “ It has been quite exciting, and I think patients appreciate having someone else interested in their treatment.

“After all the fundraising which went into the building it is nice to have royal visitor here for the official opening.”

Alex Taylor, consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist, said the Princess was “very warm and approachable”.

“She was very interested in women’s health problems and had a good grasp of healthcare issues.”

The Jigsaw Building, which opened late last year, was designed to maximise space and natural light for patients and staff, to ensure outpatients don’t have to pass through treatment areas and to provide a ‘one-stop shop’ with tests and scans all provided in one place.

During her visit to Dorset Princess Anne opened a new exhibition at the Tank Museum, Bovington, and opened driving training centre Roadwise in Weymouth.