LAST spring, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars unveiled a new concept in luxury, crafted for a special customer – St Richard’s Hospital Paediatric Day Surgery Unit in Chichester.

The appropriately-named Rolls-Royce SRH was hand-built to allow children awaiting surgery to drive themselves to the operating theatre through the paediatric unit corridors which are lined with “traffic signs”.

The experience has been proved to reduce child patient stress.

Twelve months later, Rolls-Royce welcomed the return of its smallest automotive family member to the home of Rolls?Royce at Goodwood for its first year’s service.

The car has performed faultlessly, with no “failures to proceed” and was given a clean bill of health by technicians in the company’s analysis centre.

An average of one child per day has driven to the operating theatre in the Rolls-Royce SRH.

Sue Nicholls, paediatric matron, said, “We’ve received fantastic feedback from families who’ve expressed how excited their children have been at the prospect of coming onto the day surgery unit to drive our mini Rolls-Royce motor car.

“Rather than being anxious about their upcoming procedure, our young patients are positively distracted by the fun experience of negotiating the corridors to theatre in a car they can drive all by themselves.

“We’ve also noticed that dads especially love to admire the engineering and design specification and often ask for a turn. The whole experience of being in hospital for those children, and their loved ones, is enhanced by having the opportunity to drive such a special car.”