WORLD-CLASS HEALTHCARE IN A HERITAGE SETTING

1 An array of dining experiences awaits visitors to Marylebone Village, part of the Howard de Walden Estate (PHOTO: HDWE) Over the past 20 years, the Harley Street Medical Area (HSMA) has been completely transformed – on the inside at least. To anyone strolling through the historic streetscape that plays host to this unparalleled concentration of private healthcare facilities, the momentous changes that have taken place might not be immediately apparent. Certainly, the beauty of the period buildings and the sedate charm of the streets upon which they sit has not been altered in any meaningful way. But behind the area’s doors, a signifi cant shift has occurred.

Harley Street has been closely associated with medicine for well over a century, but the area’s reputation has never been stronger. In its role as the area’s landlord and steward, The Howard de Walden Estate has spent the past two decades gradually ramping up a substantial programme of improvements designed to create world-class healthcare facilities. In tandem, it has sought out healthcare providers at the very top of their respective fi elds to work within these buildings. This pursuit of excellence has given the area an increasingly international feel, with the likes of Schoen Clinic from Germany, Mayo Clinic from the United States and Isokinetic from Italy establishing a presence in the HSMA, alongside some of the UK’s most impressive operators.

One of the main aims of Howard de Walden’s strategy has been to create an o ering that appeals not just to British patients, but to patients from every corner of the world – a task made more compelling by some of the area’s other facets: its accessibility from every continent and its impressive array of hotels, restaurants and other amenities.

2-3 King Edward VII's Hospital, one of the HSMA's longest-established facilities, is due to open its new Kantor Medical Centre in late

2021 (PHOTOS: KING EDWARD VII'S HOSPITAL) | 4-5 Top-quality shopping and hospitality sit in close proximity to world-class medical centres in the Howard de Walden Estate (PHOTOS: HDWE) Unsurprisingly, the Covid-19 pandemic has had an impact on the HSMA’s development, but Howard de Walden’s plans have generally been disrupted, rather than derailed. In the past year, The Royal Marsden Private Care has opened a dedicated diagnostics and treatment centre on Cavendish Square. Part of the private arm of The Royal Marsden NHS (National Health Service) Foundation Trust – one of the UK’s leading cancer hospitals – it offers access to eminent cancer specialists in a state-of-the-art building. Weymouth Street Hospital, part of the Phoenix Hospital Group, has undergone an expansion, adding a complex of four state-of-the-art theatres.

In September 2021, the HSMA will welcome the opening of Cleveland Clinic London’s diagnostic and outpatient facility, a clinic at which many of the patients for the new British outpost of the highly regarded American nonprofit multispecialty academic medical centre will begin and end their treatment journey. Also due to open in the autumn of 2021 is King Edward VII’s Hospital’s new Kantor Medical Centre, which provides 25 additional consulting rooms and a stateof-the-art diagnostic centre in a building across the street from the main hospital building. Another of the area’s longestablished cornerstones, The London Clinic, has also taken additional space: a substantially refurbished Grade II-listed period building at 142-146 Harley Street.

New development

While the pandemic may have slowed some building projects, Howard de Walden has secured planning for a 13,000 sq ft medical facility development at 27-29 Harley Street. The development, which is being marketed for a single occupier, is due to complete in Q2 2022 and will be capable of accommodating a diagnostic and minor procedures operator.

The pandemic has also accelerated some positive change within the HSMA, with healthcare providers finding new ways to continue to offer the services their patients rely upon, through innovation

and investment in technology. Their ability to provide sophisticated remote consultations has grown considerably – something that will continue to be of great utility, particularly for international patients, even after travel restrictions have been removed.

Stronger connections

The Covid-19 response has also tightened the connections between the HSMA and the NHS. It is a link that has always been there: a large proportion of the clinicians who work within the HSMA split their time between private practice and NHS roles, and several of our clinics, including The Royal Marsden Private Care, RB&HH Specialist Care and Moorfields Private, are the private-care arms of highly regarded NHS trusts.

The pandemic brought the public and private spheres even closer. With international patients unable to travel in for treatment, HSMA hospitals found themselves with spare capacity, meaning that many of them were able to put their people, facilities and equipment at the disposal of their NHS colleagues at a time of acute need. Looking forward, there is a considerable job to be done to tackle the backlog of diagnostic and medical procedures that had to be postponed during the crisis, and those relationships between the two sectors are likely to be drawn upon for years to come.

The past year’s interruptions have certainly not stopped Howard de Walden from planning for the future of the HSMA. One priority is the creation of a step-down facility for post-operative patients that no longer need to be in hospital, but still need some focused help with their rehabilitation. The establishment of a life-sciences research facility is also being actively explored – the belief being that a presence for this increasingly important and dynamic field would complement the area’s exceptional primary healthcare services. The Harley Street Medical Area has changed a great deal in recent years, but those changes show no sign of stalling.

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