Prince Charles and Camilla visited victims of the London Bridge terror attack at the Royal London Hospital today.
The royal couple arrived at the emergency entrance at 1pm for the unannounced visit to see the 12 patients who were seriously wounded in the atrocity in which seven people were killed.
They spent more than an hour at the hospital and were shown around by Barts Health NHS Trust chief executive Alwen Williams and A&E clinical director Dr Malik Ramadhan.
Dr Ramadan had gone off duty that night, but returned to treat those bring brought in by ambulance.
He was cycling home after a long Saturday shift when he saw police cars and ambulances rushing in the opposite direction.
“I realised there was an emergency and just turned the bike around,” he said. “I got back to the hospital where a ‘major incident alert’ had been declared.”
He was one of dozens of hospital staff and paramedics who turned up immediately after the attacks.
“The actions of medical staff and volunteers in response to the London Bridge terror attack showed “Britain at its best”, the Duchess of Cornwall said.
“Everybody pulls together and there doesn’t seem to be any panic,” she added. “Everyone gets on and does their job.”
Staff told how passers-by had stopped to help as the incident unfolded, at times simply by talking to the victims to keep them conscious.
Among those the royals met was Sunday Express business editor Geoff Ho, who had been stabbed in the neck trying to protect a friend from the terrorists.
Paramedics at the Whitechapel air ambulance base were dispatched by fast response vehicles to London Bridge and Borough Market on Saturday at 10.15pm.
Four of the 12 victims were still in ‘critical care’ when the Duke and Duchess turned up on today.
Prince Charles asked how the staff managed to make it in to work at such short notice.
He said: “This is a fantastic team. I have so much admiration for all you are doing.”
Hospital chief executive Alwen Williams said after the royal visit: “It meant a great deal to our staff.”
The hospital is one of six that are treating victims of the attack.
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