Prognosis: Issue 8

After what has been a very difficult year for everyone, it is great to be back with this new digital issue of Prognosis, showcasing the progress that has been made in the Harley Street Medical Area (HSMA) in recent months. Challenging as things were in 2020, the important work of the HSMA did not grind to a halt. This remained an active hub of clinical excellence and cutting-edge research. Despite the lockdowns and restrictions, work continued behind the scenes to ensure that the area’s medical facilities were in the best possible position to serve their patients the moment that conditions allowed.

While some strategic plans for the expansion of facilities in the HSMA have been impacted by the pandemic, the teams involved have worked hard to ensure that any delays have been kept to a minimum. In this edition, we talk to Shams Maladwala of The Royal Marsden about the fantastic new Cavendish Square cancer diagnostics facility, which is showcasing how trusts – and patients – can benefit from an integrated model of independent and NHS care. We also talk to Dr Brian Donley from Cleveland Clinic, whose new outpatient centre in Portland Place within HSMA is set to open in September followed later in the year by their hospital at Grosvenor Place.

In our centrepiece interview, Professor Roger Kirby, the new president of the Royal Society of Medicine, explains why conversations about global health must include the effects of climate change, and how the global pandemic has highlighted the need for reform, both of the RSM itself and of the wider medical community. We also, as ever, offer a patient’s perspective: Sean Cannon tells us how after years of relying on powerful medication to control constant, debilitating pain, he underwent deep brain stimulation treatment at The London Clinic, led by London consultant neurosurgeon Mr Tipu Aziz, and is now on the path back to a normal life.

This issue shows that, however challenging the circumstances, the work of delivering the best possible services to our patients has to – and will – continue. Despite the present difficulties, the HSMA and the wider medical community can still look forward with optimism.

To read Prognosis Issue 8, please click here.


Julian Best, 
Executive Property Director