Dorset's Harry Redknapp unveils Wimborne's new-look x-ray department

It's thanks to a legacy donation from a local family and funding from Friends of the Victoria Hospital

Author: Maria GreenwoodPublished 18th May 2023
Last updated 18th May 2023

Former Premier League manager and ‘King of the Jungle’ Harry Redknapp has re-opened the radiology department at Wimborne’s Victoria Hospital, following a major revamp of the unit.

Thanks to a legacy donation from a local family of £350,000 and £255,000 of charitable funding from the Friends of Victoria Hospital, Dorset HealthCare has refurbished two x-ray rooms at the site to deliver improved imaging and increased capacity.

Dorset resident Harry, who won TV’s I’m a Celebrity… Get me out of here! Contest in 2018, was joined at the re-opening by the Mayor of Wimborne, staff and other Trust representatives, plus family members of the legacy donor and Friends of Victoria Hospital group members to unveil the new state-of-the-art technology.

Harry Redknapp and Dorset HealthCare staff cutting the ribbon at the Victoria Hospital, Wimborne, event.

Brad Rootes, Dorset HealthCare's East Dorset and Purbeck Locality Manager, said:

“We would like to thank the local family for their generous legacy donation, which together with the support of the Friends of Victoria Hospital has enabled this substantial refurbishment for the benefit of local people and staff. We are always incredibly grateful for the support from the local community and Friends of Victoria Hospital which allows us to continually update facilities to enhance services and the experience of our patients.”

Anne Salter, Friends of Victoria Hospital Chair, added:

“We are delighted to be supporting further refurbishments at Victoria Hospital which is at the heart of what we stand for – striving to improve, helping patients of the hospital and others in the community to get the care they need.

“If anyone would like to get involved by becoming a member or a simple one-off donation, we guarantee it will be spent on benefitting the hospital.”

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