About Us

The League of Friends was established in 1956 in the Cuckfi eld Hospital, transferring to The Princess Royal Hospital, Haywards Heath, in June 1991. The popular Coffee Shop opened in its present location in 2005. As a registered charity, our objective is to raise funds for the hospital to provide equipment and support projects for the improvement of facilities for the treatment of patients and the well-being of staff and visitors. Over the years, we have provided funds for many projects in the hospital, including the Physiotherapy Department, the Discharge Lounge, Hickstead Pre-OP Unit, Hurstwood Park Garden, Ardingly Day Room and the Sussex Orthopaedic Centre.

The most recent substantial donation made to the hospital was in 2022 providing all the equipment in the refurbished X-Ray Room, which includes state-of-the-art X-Ray and dental imaging machines. The picture above was taken at the official opening of the department on 24 June 2022.

“The X-ray service at Haywards Heath is open all year round and this X-ray room sees about 60 patients each day for anything from fractured bones to nasty chest infections. To be able to replace the old equipment in this room with new technology has been vital and will significantly improve the patient experience. For our radiographers, the new equipment is much easier to use and can be easily moved around to suit the needs of each patient. The machine itself gives clearer, sharper images, reducing the need for retakes, allowing staff to make a quick, effective diagnosis and reducing patient radiation doses.”

Kate Custis, Lead Superintendent Radiographer

The League of Friends is proud of our continued contribution to the hospital, which we could not achieve without the loyal support of our volunteers and trustees; also by the generous donations and legacies from the public and local businesses. We are also grateful for the loyal customers of our friendly Coffee Shop which raises a large proportion of our funds for the hospital.

Executive Committee of the League of Friends of the Princess Royal Hospital

Chair: Mercedes Madden
Treasurer: Andrew Fox
Secretary: Dr Martin Rogers
Nicola Clark
Terry Dorrington
Maura Dorrington
Susan Harding
Michael Lavelle
Matthew Temple-Smith
Michael West-Eacott