Concierge service boasts global reach
A rapid response referral service, offering premier, bespoke medical pathways for people with complex and often time-critical care needs via The HCA UK Concierge Centre is proving to be a lifeline for patients from all over the world.
The Marylebone service provides a single point of contact where all healthcare needs can be addressed no matter how complex or difficult, including ICU to ICU transfers.
So far, the service has supported patients coming to HCA’s hospitals from over 30 countries, including six ‘red’ nations while abiding by Government Covid regulations.
They have been repatriated following trauma or illness when overseas. In one case, the team worked with an embassy after an eastern Europe earthquake to medivac a critically ill pregnant patient to London to receive specialist care and ultimately give birth safely.
Annabelle Neame
There has also been a rising demand from NHS inpatients wanting to transfer to the private sector who often require complex care.
HCA’s business development director Annabelle Neame said: ‘With HCA UK’s unmatched resources and pool of consultants, we are able to ensure clients can access the best possible care, quickly – covering everything from ICU transfers to neurorehabilitation right through to life-saving complex surgery and care.’
The service, open 24 hours 365 days a year and aiming to respond to all requests within two hours, has partnered with Charles Taylor Assistance (formerly Cega) to arrange patients’ international travel.
HCA said this was the first direct partnership in the UK between a direct healthcare provider and a medivac aviation transfer specialist, meaning the service can arrange global transfers which are not reliant on private medical insurance.