The Prince of Wales paid a pre-Christmas visit to injured service personnel at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham yesterday (Tuesday 6 December).

Prince Charles flew into the hospital by helicopter and was met by Julie Moore, Chief Executive of University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB), Dr Dave Rosser, the Trust’s Medical Director, and Group Captain Wendy Williams, Commanding Officer of the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine (RCDM).

He stopped to chat with well-wishers in QEHB’s main entrance before meeting 16 military patients across the hospital’s neurological and trauma wards.

Davina Thomas, Matron of the neurological science ward, said the Prince’s visits, which he makes regularly, were very important to the patients: "This is what helps count towards them getting better. It's a morale boost for everyone."

Wing Commander Teresa Griffiths, in charge of 200 military nurses, said: “Prince Charles is incredibly human and spends a lot of time sitting with the patients and families. They get a huge amount of support from that.

“The Prince has a huge understanding of where they have been. He normally overruns on time.

“Some of the soldiers have been in hospital for a few of his visits and he takes a personal interest in them. A visit like this is a morale boost.”

A spokesperson from Clarence House said: "It's something he's very passionate about. He's very keen to show his support obviously to the troops here and also to the support teams of both military personnel and civilian personnel."

Prince Charles spent about three hours visiting the patients, one of whom he spoke to on his last visit in July.