Investing In Your Health

The Harley Street Medical Area (HSMA) is world renowned for cutting-edge healthcare. Julia Price explains why

The covid-19 pandemic has caused us to be more at peace with our health and wellbeing. Hand in hand, it has also put intense pressure on healthcare services, causing huge backlogs in elective care. To date, it is estimated more than 2 million people have been affected by delays in cancer care, including treatment and diagnosis.

When it comes to diseases such as cancer, however, early detection can make all the difference. At the earliest stages, treatment is far more likely to be successful.

Many of us are now actively looking for ways to invest in our health – and are realising the benefits of doing so. As demand for healthcare services continues to rise, for those searching for the best in class, the illustrious Harley Street Medical Area (HSMA) – an estate which has become synonymous with doctors and their practices – has become the go-to place.

John Bell & Croyden

Serving up everything from state-of-the-art cancer screening, to cutting-edge orthopaedics treatments, and the abodes of a luxury pharmacy, the estate has been at the epicentre of pioneering healthcare in the UK since the mid-19th century, when it first became a home for doctors. Situated in the heart of the UK’s bustling capital, the HSMA is now a unique place where modern medicine meets a heritage environment. The area is famous for housing a large, diverse collective of private hospitals, clinics and specialists. It is populated by thousands of clinicians, covering just about every specialism.

Today, the area’s deep ties to innovation endures –while its standing in the medical world has skyrocketed to brand new heights.

Global Appeal

To anyone strolling through the historic streetscape, the momentous changes that have taken place in the HSMA over the past 20 years might not be immediately apparent. The beauty of the period buildings and the sedate charm of the streets upon which they sit have not been altered in any meaningful way. But behind closed doors, a significant shift has occurred.

In its role as the area’s landlord and steward, The Howardde Walden Estate has spent the past two decades gradually ramping up a substantial programme of improvements designed to create world-class medical facilities.

In tandem, it has sought out healthcare providers at the very top of their respective fields to work within these buildings.

This pursuit of excellence has given the area an increasingly international bent, with the likes of Schoen Clinic from Germany and Mayo Clinic from the USA, and Isokinetic from Italy establishing a presence in the HSMA, alongside some of the UK’s most impressive operators.

Since the opening of its first sports rehabilitation clinic in 1987, Isokinetic has pioneered the rehabilitation for competitive athletes through a personalised approach and highly specialised clinical activities. The clinic provides cutting-edge treatments to some of the biggest names in international sport – which it also applies to all patients. Recognised as a FIFA Medical Center of Excellence, the clinich as 8 centres between Italy and London alone.

Similarly, Mayo Clinic, ranked the No. 1 hospital in the U.S. for the sixth consecutive year by U.S. News & World Report, opened a private clinic near Harley Street in 2019.The clinic specialises in cardiovascular, gastroenterology, pulmonary as well as offering health care screening plans, second opinions and diagnostic services where physicians work with the 4,000 specialists in the U.S. to look at your condition from every angle, ensuring the best diagnosis and care possible.

Echlon

Pioneering Treatments

Aside from its immense global appeal, what sets the HSMA apart is the unique blend of a rich heritage coupled with its standing at the heart of healthcare innovation. The area is famous for providing patients with access to not just the best names in medicine, but also the latest pioneering treatments and technologies.

One fantastic example is The Harley Street Clinic, part of HCA Healthcare UK. The clinic recently became the first hospital in the UK to offer a revolutionary new prediction technology, called CaRi-Heart®, to patients who are high risk of a heart attack. Up until now, there has been no way for medical professionals to detect the underlying problems that could lead to a heart attack. CaRi-Heart® provides this capability, offering a way to detect ‘invisible’ risks.

Another great example comes courtesy of Echelon Health, one of the world’s leading providers of Preventative Health Assessments. With the importance of early detection so vital particularly in cancer care, Echelon Health provides world-class screening technologies capable of detecting tumours as small as 1-2mm, and 92% of the causes of preventable death in men and up to 95% in women.

Phoenix Medical Group is another key player in this area. The clinic recently launched a new advanced cancer screening service, with the aim of diagnosing cancer much earlier in healthy people. One third of common cancers are preventable. The scan allows radiologists to detect cancer lesions as small as 3 millimetres; small enough to provide an effective early diagnosis and making it possible to diagnose asymptomatic tumours.

Harley Street Fertility Clinic

Diversity and Excellence

Coupled with the offer of cutting-edge treatments, a key reason why the HSMA has enjoyed such a staunch standing in the medical world is the diverse and reputable facilities available on its doorsteps.

One example is the Harley Street Fertility Clinic, a world-leading family-run clinic offering state-of-the-art fertility check-ups. The clinic provides cutting-edge treatments for patients no matter what stage they are in their fertility journey, whether they are planning for the future or have had numerous failed treatments previously and require complex care.

In the area of orthopaedics and sports medicine, patient scan seek the services of Fortius Clinic, the UK’s largest single orthopaedic MSK group. The clinic offers the latest in diagnostic imaging and treats everyone from elite athletes to the everyday leisure runner. In 2012 Fortius was recognised by FIFA as a provider of world-class orthopaedic and musculoskeletal care and accredited as a centre of excellence.

With private clinics in London, Doctor call adds to the list of reputable names based in the HSMA. The clinic offers a well man/woman health screen and a platinum health screen, offering a way to test for common conditions such as cancer, heart attack prevention and diabetes.

Royal Marsden

Where History Meets Innovation

Meanwhile, a sense of history and tradition permeates the HSMA, while the area is constantly evolving to meet the needs of the modern-day patient.

Marking another exciting chapter in its history, King Edward VII’s Hospital – which opened its doors in 1899– recently launched a new world-class facility offering diagnostic services and outpatient care. The new Kantor Medical Centre (KMC) spans seven floors and boasts an impressive array of cutting-edge technologies, expanding the hospital’s offering within musculoskeletal, women’s health, urology, and digestive health.

The Royal Marsden – which opened its doors in 1851as the world’s first hospital dedicated to cancer diagnosis –today continues its vital mission to improve early diagnosis for patients; from carrying out pioneering genetic sequencing to identifying mutations that mean an individual has a higher risk of developing cancer, through to regular screenings. The facility at Cavendish Square is home to a state-of-the-art diagnostic imaging suite offering MRI, CT, X-Ray, ultrasound and mammography.

Embodying the deep-rooted heritage of the area, meanwhile, is John Bell & Croyden. The renowned pharmacy emporium has a history stretching over two centuries. Today John Bell & Croyden – which has held the Royal Warrant as pharmacists to Her Majesty the Queen since 1958 – remains a hallmark of tradition and innovation. During the covid-19pandemic, the pharmacy launched a host of new services, including diagnostic services for covid-19, and more recently a new In Residence Health Clinic, giving patients a way to access specified medications without needing to see their GP. Despite its long history, the pharmacy has continued to evolve, in the same spirit that has safeguarded HSMA’s global reputation as a place for unrivalled medical excellence.