17 minute read
THE LONDON CLINIC
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II opens the Duchess of Devonshire Wing, our dedicated cancer centre
A FIRST CLASS EXPERIENCE
Helping over 120,000 patients a year back to good health, The London Clinic is one of the largest private hospitals in the UK. Our holistic, highly personalised approach to care is designed to ease any stress or worry our patients may have around the process of having a medical procedure. With an experienced international team on hand, we look after our patients’ every need, throughout their treatment journey with us, so that they can focus on their health.
In 2022, we will celebrate 90 years of delivering exceptional patient care, in our historic setting, at the heart of London’s Harley Street Medical District. This long experience has helped us build a hospital that is responsive and continually adapts to changing healthcare needs.
We offer the widest range of services and some of the most technologically advanced facilities and equipment, of any private hospital in the UK. Our seven buildings house 11 operating theatres, over 180 beds, consulting rooms and diagnostic services. We even have our own 13-bed, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), providing 24-hour, consultant-led patient support and reassurance.
Around 700 consultants and 1,200 clinical and non-clinical staff work at The London Clinic including 100 clinical nurse specialists, dietitians, physiotherapists, councillors and occupational therapists. They are the beating heart of The London Clinic. Many of them, from chefs to surgeons, are leaders in their fields and all of them are passionate about providing the very best care for our patients.
This passion is reflected in The London Clinic’s charitable status. As a charity we have more control over the reinvestment of our profits, allowing us to go further in pursuing our mission to provide the best outcomes for our patients. Our priorities are innovation and technology, training and education, and patient care. Investing in these three areas helps us to expand our medical knowledge and capabilities, make new or hard to access treatments available to patients and develop the strong teams and partnerships that deliver the best in personalised healthcare.
WE ARE BESIDE OUR PATIENTS ON EACH STEP OF THEIR TREATMENT JOURNEY
We understand that our patients’ experience with us is as important to their recovery as the expert medical treatment we provide. That’s why we have a dedicated International Team providing the following services to support our patients from their first contact with us, through treatment and once they return home.
Before treatment As a first step, we provide Patient Coordinators to help patients before their visit to The London Clinic. They arrange admission, discharge and other treatment appointments with the patient and their medical team. They also co-ordinate any pre-operative assessments and provide information and advice on self-isolation and testing requirements in relation to COVID-19. We enhanced our already high safety standards in response to the pandemic and have met and often exceeded recommendations outlined by Public Health England.
To help with any worries around travelling to and staying in London, patients also have access to our free-of-charge Concierge Service. Our concierges help patients, and their families to arrange their trip, advising on and booking accommodation, transport and even theatre tickets, dinner reservations or a little pampering to make their stay more comfortable.
On arrival Our team provides a warm welcome to patients arriving at The London Clinic. Once the necessary paperwork is complete, patients are shown to their individual, en suite rooms. Each room is designed with comfort in mind and can be customised to personal needs throughout their stay. Patients also benefit from our delicious, a la carte dining. Developed by our awardwining chefs and registered dietitians, our meals are freshly prepared to taste great as well as to provide all the nutrients needed to promote a good recovery. Our menus can all be adapted for allergies and nutritional, cultural and religious requirements.
The treatment journey We understand that travelling to a different country for a medical procedure can present challenges. Our Patient Advocates are available to guide patients through the hospital and their treatment journey, helping to bridge any cultural barriers the patient may experience. All our Advocates are Arabic speakers and can help patients understand information about their treatment if English is not their first language. We can also arrange interpreters for other languages if needed.
Returning home Once our international patients return home, they continue to benefit from ‘Connect,’ our award-winning digital healthcare service, introduced to improve our patients’ access to healthcare. The platform allows patients to meet their healthcare professionals remotely and securely, from any convenient location. They can attend appointments and therapy sessions and even link in family members or interpreters to support them.
WE ARE RENOWNED FOR OUR PIONEERING WORK AND MEDICAL FIRSTS The London Clinic is committed to helping patients find the treatment or service that helps them to recover their health. We continually research and invest in new therapies and technologies to allow us to increase the treatment options we offer and provide us with the tools to take on more complex cases. As a result, we are experts in several medical specialities and have received awards and accolades recognising our high standards of patient safety and care. • Our purpose-built cancer centre, the
Duchess of Devonshire Wing, is one of the most modern and technologically advanced cancer hospitals in the
UK. It holds the 5 Star Macmillan
Quality Environment Mark celebrating innovation and excellence in medicine and patient care.
• The London Clinic’s digestive health and general surgery department boasts the largest independent centre for gastrointestinal endoscopy in the UK and provides an extensive range of treatments and in-house diagnostics. In recognition of our exemplary standards of clinical quality and patient experience, the centre holds JAG accreditation from the Royal College of Physicians Joint
Advisory Group on gastrointestinal endoscopy.
• Our musculoskeletal and pain management team assess, diagnose, and treat musculoskeletal conditions from bunions through to complex spinal surgery. The first private hospital in the UK to establish a robotic surgery group, our familiarity and expertise with these systems have made us an international leader in the field. Our
Centre of Excellence has four robotic systems, with patients benefiting from this minimally invasive technique in joint replacement, spinal surgery and multiple other specialities across the hospital.
• Our world-leading team of aesthetic consultants make a difference to our patients’ lives through both cosmetic and reconstructive surgery. They have developed specific techniques that help to repair appearance and function
1932
The Duchess of York accompanied by the Duke of York (later King George VI) opens The London Clinic
1989
HRH Prince Charles opens the physiotherapy department
1950s
The London Clinic is an early investor in radiology, radiotherapy and imaging
1991
The MRI unit in the radiology department is opened by HRH Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon
post-cancer surgery and are skilled in managing complex cases such as facial reconstruction and correcting previous cosmetic procedures.
Investing in and exploring new fields of medicine has enabled us to bring several innovative technologies to The London Clinic patients for the first time:
• We were the first UK private hospital to offer robotic surgery for prostate cancer patients in 2005 when we introduced the da Vinci robotic system.
• We have introduced artificial intelligence (AI) powered diagnostics with GI Genius™, an endoscopy system that detects the very earliest signs of colorectal cancer.
• We were the first private hospital to use
Proximie augmented reality technology; connecting surgeons in different parts of our hospital, to enable one to instruct the other, remotely, in a robotic prostate cancer operation. WE ACHIEVE OUTSTANDING TREATMENT OUTCOMES FOR OUR PATIENTS These outcomes are made possible because we are committed to improving the health of our patients and have a passion for excellence that drives everyone and everything we do at The London Clinic.
We work with our patients to develop treatment plans that address their physical and emotional needs, giving them the very best foundations to recover their health. The additional wellbeing services we offer include complementary therapies, counselling, physiotherapy, psychological support, and lifestyle and dietetic advice. We make everyone’s stay with us as comfortable as possible; our hospital is a calming environment, respectful of the dignity and the privacy of our patients and their families.
We invest in our expert medical team, encouraging them to innovate within their fields and explore new technologies and techniques that could benefit our patients. We support their research, and through The London Clinic Research Centre, we join clinical trials that are shaping the future of medicine. In the last two years we have helped over 200 patients access novel therapies through enrolment in clinical trials in the fields of oncology, orthopaedics and gastroenterology.
We seek out partnerships that can help us improve and increase the services we offer our patients and the wider healthcare community. In partnership with the Anthony Nolan Trust, British Bone Marrow Registry and DKMS, The London Clinic is the largest stem cell collection centre in Europe. Our laboratory analyses, processes and stores cells until needed by thousands of cancer patients worldwide.
We look to the future and invest our profits in new technologies and improving our facilities for our patients. We are working with health technology leader Advanced Oncotherapy to introduce its innovative proton beam therapy in the near future. Work has already started on adapting premises in Harley Street into a dedicated, high-tech centre for urology, gynaecology and breast care. We have invested in world-leading diagnostics and our own extensive in-house laboratory services so that we are independent and can provide rapid results on tests and scans.
We listen to what is important to our patients, staff and partners. Our people are our most important critics, we use their feedback to personalise the care and services we provide. 98% of patients would recommend The London Clinic to their families and friends.
2007
Our life president, The Duchess of Devonshire, opens new consulting rooms at Devonshire Place
2017
Our patron, HRH Duchess of Cornwall opens the new, 13bed Intensive Care Unit (ICU)
2010
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II opens the new Duchess of Devonshire Wing dedicated to cancer care
2019
The London Clinic Centre for Robotics is launched, made up of world-leading surgeons, anaesthetists and a highly specialised nursing team
SURGEONS AND SEMI-CONDUCTORS: Robotic surgery at The London Clinic
Prof Prokar Dasgupta is Consultant Urological Surgeon, The London Clinic, Professor of Robotic Surgery and Urological Innovation Guy’s Hospital, King’s College London, and Chairman of the King’s Institute of Robotic Surgery.
According to Prof Prokar Dasgupta the future looks bright for robotics at The London Clinic. ‘Robotics is a field of medicine that is exploding with opportunity. Reduced costs, increased connectivity and the advent of artificial intelligence are going to help make robotic surgery more accessible for different conditions, make us as surgeons more effective and ultimately improve outcomes for patients.’
The Chairman of the King’s Institute of Robotic Surgery and a recipient of the prestigious St Peter’s Medal, the highest award of the British Association of Urological Surgeon, Prof Dasgupta is a leader in the field of robotics and was instrumental in The London Clinic’s decision to invest in robotic systems. He describes this decision as typical of The London Clinic’s approach to making new and innovative treatments available for its patients. ‘They had seen the success I’d had and how we were transforming care in the National Health Service (NHS). There was also huge public interest and patient demand for the new technology and The London Clinic was prepared to take the leap.’ There is no doubt in Prof Dasgupta’s mind that robotic surgery has multiple advantages for patients. ‘The advanced technology that guides the tiny instruments of the robot means we can make very small, precise incisions. My own research has shown that for patients, this means they get to go home quicker and experience less pain, scarring, and fewer complications.’ He adds that there are also associated benefits for surgeons. ‘Movement and standing time are both reduced meaning that surgeons experience less fatigue. The systems also generate huge amounts of data that we can interrogate and use to improve performance and train the next generation of robotic surgeons.’
The London Clinic was the first private hospital in the UK to introduce a robotic system for prostate surgery in 2005. Since then, its experience and expertise has grown considerably. In another first for a private hospital, it has recently established a centre of excellence, The London Clinic Centre for Robotic Surgery, and added a fourth robot to its existing suite of systems. With the NAVIO®, da Vinci®, AquaBeam and ExcelsiusGPS®, minimally invasive surgery is now available across numerous specialities including orthopaedic, urological, cardiac, colorectal and head and neck surgeries. ‘It’s this commitment and investment in robotics that allows us surgeons to look to the future and investigate new and better ways of helping our patients,’ Prof Dasgupta adds.
Despite being somewhat of a celebrity in his field, Prof Dasgupta is keen to point out that successful robotic surgery is more than one man and a machine. ‘It’s all about the team and your approach,’ he says. ‘The London Clinic offers a very bespoke service, with a highly skilled multi-disciplinary team that supports and cares for each patient throughout their treatment journey.’
We have excellent anaesthetists, surgeons, surgical assistants, who I could not be without during surgery, and our specialist nurses who help our patients in recovery. I truly believe it is this excellent teamwork that makes us a standout service and gets some of the best outcomes in the world for The London Clinic patients.’
The London Clinic has four state of the art Robotic surgery systems. From left to right - NAVIO®, da Vinci®, AquaBeam and ExcelsiusGPS®
Amisha Thobani | The London Clinic patient
Mr Peter Bullock | Consultant Neurosurgeon at The London Clinic
Case Study
Amisha Thobani has had two brain tumours removed at The London Clinic and is being treated and monitored for a third. She has a lot of affection for the hospital and her medical team, particularly Mr Peter Bullock Consultant Neurosurgeon at The London Clinic. They tell us about her experience and how The London Clinic became a home-away-from-home for her to focus on her health.
AMISHA Discovering I had a brain tumour was a huge shock to me and my family. I was recently married, happy and busy, with a successful career in the city. I had blamed my headaches and blurred vision on long hours spent at the computer studying and working and had taken my optician’s advice to wear glasses and have regular vision checks. It wasn’t until a new optician spotted something abnormal on my retina that I was referred to hospital, and then to a specialist ophthalmologist at The London Clinic.
Everything happened very rapidly after that. The ophthalmologist sent me immediately downstairs for an MRI scan. Two days later I was back in the hospital to meet Mr Peter Bullock who became my neurosurgeon and lifesaver.
MR. BULLOCK Amisha had a meningioma grade 1, the typical type of brain tumour we see in women of her age. But her case turned out to be anything but typical. As she was young and fit, we recommended surgery to remove the tumour. Brain surgery is always a major undertaking, and it is important to be very clear with patients about the risks as well as any alternatives. However, nearly all people who have this surgery make a good recovery and are unlikely to need further treatment.
AMISHA The operation to remove my first tumour took nine hours. The scan had shown a tumour, about the size of a golf ball, wrapped around my optic nerve. I was told it had probably been there for five to ten years, slowly damaging my vision as it grew. It was complex surgery, and I spent several days in The London Clinic’s ICU as part of my 15-day hospital stay.
Five years later, The London Clinic team found another tumour in a different area of my brain. It quickly doubled in size, and I had a second surgery to remove it. No one expected to find a third, but in 2015 a growth recurred at the site of my first tumour. This time Mr Bullock recommended stereotactic radiotherapy as a one-off treatment which would be more effective and carry less risk than another open operation.
MR. BULLOCK Amisha is right, atypical meningiomas grade 2 are more likely to recur than her original tumour. The London Clinic provides follow-up MRI scans and appointments for at least five years after surgery for even a grade 1 meningioma. It was through this careful monitoring that we discovered her second and later, third tumour. The discovery of the third tumour made Amisha’s case more challenging and we needed to find an alternative treatment option, such as stereotactic radiotherapy.
Successful neurosurgery is dependent on the latest technologies. The London Clinic can provide support for both the straightforward and the more complex surgical cases. Amisha has benefited from advancements in both science and the capabilities of The London Clinic over time. To treat her third tumour, we used CyberKnife.
The Cyberknife at The London Clinic used to treat Amisha’s third tumour.
This precision technology uses X-ray imaging to focus narrow beams of radiation precisely to the tumour, minimising damage to surrounding healthy tissue. With it, we successfully shrank Amisha’s tumour. She has lived with it now for five years, it remains stable, and we will continue to monitor her health.
AMISHA Recovery from brain surgery takes time, not just physically but emotionally and mentally. I struggled with brain fatigue, a hidden illness experienced by people who’ve had damage or injury to the brain, that can last for years. I couldn’t have coped without the support of my family who were amazing throughout. Especially when just over a year after my first tumour was removed, I gave birth to twins! It has been 15 years now since my first tumour was discovered and with each one, I have felt the same despair and helplessness. It has been difficult at times juggling my own emotions and the concerns and worries of my family. Thankfully, The London Clinic has been with me every step of the way.
Everyone there is so welcoming and supportive, from the cleaning staff to the medical team. Each time I received treatment even the smallest details were taken care of, helping to make my stay comfortable so that I could focus on myself and my health. There is a huge level of reassurance and peace of mind when you know you can put your trust in people to care for you like that. It became like a home away from home. I owe a debt of gratitude to Mr Bullock. He is a brilliant surgeon and a wonderfully kind person who has always been respectful and reassuring to me and my family. He was highly regarded by my father, a GP himself, who attended nearly all my appointments with me. My surgeries have given me a second chance at life; allowing me to be a wife, a daughter, a sister, and a mother, and demonstrating that you can overcome adversity and trauma by being positive and having faith.
MR. BULLOCK I am so grateful to Amisha and her family for their strength of character and it is a delight to see her beautiful twins enjoying a full family life.
To find out more about The London Clinic and our world-class healthcare, please visit our website thelondonclinic.co.uk or contact:
E Internationaloffice@thelondonclinic.co.uk T +44 (0)20 8108 9699 M +44 (0) 7864 609 017 (for calls or messages on WhatsApp,
WeChat, Viber or IMO)
