The walls of our hospital don’t define us – the people inside do

For the past four years I have been honoured to work on the Cleveland Clinic London project, managing the nursing strategy and care model. Last September we opened our Portland Place Outpatient Centre, and on 29th March 2022 we marked the start of a new chapter in Cleveland Clinic London history by opening the doors of Cleveland Clinic London Hospital to patients. As Cleveland Clinic’s first hospital in Europe, this is an eventful moment for our entire organisation.

The hospital has 184 inpatient beds, including 29 ICU beds and a 41-bed neurological rehabilitation ward. There are eight operating theatres and a staff of approximately 1,150 caregivers. Our care model gives access to Cleveland Clinic’s global network of physicians, specialists and nurses across our core specialties of cardiology, digestive disease, neurology and orthopaedics.

Deborah Small, chief nursing officer at Cleveland Clinic London

Cleveland Clinic London Hospital employs state-of-the-art medical technology, such as a pharmacy robot that packages drugs, providing safer delivery and administration of medications at the bedside using barcoding devices. Patients and caregivers have access to advanced electronic medical records, allowing nurses to make faster and more effective decisions about patient care, and giving the patient easier access to their information.

As we welcomed our first patients to the hospital this past week, surrounded by new technology, original artwork and a truly sensational building, I reflected that the walls of our hospital do not define us – the people inside do. Our caregivers demonstrate our values daily and always put the patient first. Our main focus is the delivery of safe, quality care, and improving this wherever possible through research and education.

Supporting our caregivers – and specifically reinvigorating nurses’ passion for healthcare – is one of my key objectives. Our nurses are extremely specialised. They use their skills to deliver the very best care, and work to promote the health and wellbeing of our patients. It is critical that our nurses collaborate with consultants to develop and maintain an exceptional patient journey.

It is an honour to provide people with medical expertise, combined with empathetic care. With our hearts, minds and voices, everything we do is focused on the patients we serve.