CREWE Alex boss Dario Gradi dropped in at Leighton Hospital this week to talk about the importance of teamwork

The Football League's longest serving manager was guest speaker on Tuesday's training day at the hospital's new treatment centre.

He was also given a tour of the £12.5m flagship health centre, which is due to open on October 3.

Dario said: "I was delighted to come along to speak to the team and visit the new treatment centre - it is certainly a very impressive facility.

"Hopefully the staff will have taken something from our time together that can help them when the first patients arrive in a few weeks."

Fully funded and run by the NHS, the centre will treat up to 20,000 patients a year, offering rapid access to high quality care over a range of specialities.

Patients will be offered a protected appointment time to suit them, before being discharged on the same day as their operation or procedure.

Centre manager Andy Ennis added: "It was a real treat for everyone to meet Dario and listen to his thoughts on working together.

"All our staff are committed to following his example for excellence over a long period of time, to ensure our patients receive the highest standard of care."

The state of the art facility will include four day case theatres, four endoscopy rooms and a minor treatment room, all equipped with the latest technology.

There is also a pre-operative assessment area, private consultation rooms, a three-stage recovery area, in-house pharmacy, a restaurant and a dedicated parking area.