Selling this city’s expertise abroad
Healthcare London is a unique collaborative of London’s leading private healthcare providers and teaching hospitals that have come together to serve as a global gateway to exceptional healthcare expertise.
Its aim is to showcase why the capital is the destination of choice for international patients seeking to advance their complex care needs. Project director Michael Barker reports.
London is known for having the highest concentration of top medical and surgical specialists globally, attracting talent from all around the world.
Its reputation as a hotspot for international medical tourism is only increasing, highlighting the growing importance of access to quality healthcare for patients from overseas.
More than 100,000 individuals based abroad annually choose England’s capital as their preferred destination for medical treatments.
What makes London such a clear destination for patients from abroad seeking the best in healthcare is the wide array of specialised medical treatments available, from cancer care to specialist surgery, cardiac interventions and major trauma in world-class healthcare facilities. It is also a truly diverse and multicultural city.
But London punches way below its weight. Research from market analysts LaingBuisson showed London is 15th on global rankings – by value – well below comparative western markets. Healthcare London is a platform to make London a global hub for medical excellence.
Enhancing patient care through collaboration
Health is one of the best investments you can make. To enable many more international patients to access the quality of treatment the city has, Healthcare London brings together several leading private healthcare providers, including prominent NHS teaching hospitals with private patient units.
Our collaborative comprises world-renowned clinics and hospitals, including Chelsea and Westminster Hospital Private Care (NHS unit), Cleveland Clinic London, Cromwell Hospital, HCA Healthcare UK, King Edward VII’s Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare Private Care (NHS unit), Phoenix Hospital Group, The London Clinic, and University College London Hospitals Private Healthcare (NHS unit).
Our purpose is to provide international patients with access to world-leading healthcare models and exceptional outcomes in London.
We help patients navigate the complexities of seeking healthcare abroad by offering a single portal for exploring various treatment options, making it easier to find the most suitable hospital for their needs while promoting safe, multidisciplinary, value-based and co-ordinated care services.
Our unique approach
Healthcare London’s distinctive approach values collaboration, transparency and operational excellence. This collaborative effort allows us to leverage the collective expertise of our partner institutions, providing patients with access to a comprehensive network of healthcare services.
Delivering this approach means ensuring we have the right systems and governance in place.
Fine-tuning processes, establishing clear communication channels and implementing effective decision-making structures are essential to ensuring co-ordination and collaboration between our diverse partner organisations.
For instance, each partner has a named operational lead. All operational leads meet monthly. These regular meetings drive our operational engine, refining processes, and developing crucial tools like performance measurement platforms to assess return on investment.
One significant development has been the creation of e-qualification questionnaires, which allow us to efficiently qualify new leads and opportunities, ensuring we can target and align with the right international markets – that is, where our services are most needed and where we can make the most impact.
Understanding the needs of different countries and healthcare markets is crucial for us. Each market has its own set of regulations, cultural expectations and healthcare challenges. To better understand these needs, we have conducted thorough analyses of specific markets.
Through this process, we have gained valuable insights into how patients in these areas seek healthcare and what attracts them to London for their healthcare needs.
This has allowed us to develop detailed briefing documents and practical strategies that align with the preferences and expectations of the stakeholders within our target markets.
What drives us
Healthcare London unites various healthcare providers, each with their own unique approaches and expertise. Our ambition is to enhance these individual strengths, providing a platform for collaborative work to ensure the highest quality care for patients.
To achieve this, we have implemented a robust governance structure to guide our strategic decisions and foster a culture of inclusivity, transparency and open communication.
Our steering committee, consisting of chief executivess or equivalents from each partner organisation, meets quarterly to tackle critical issues such as budgeting, market strategies and the overarching direction of the project.
Their insight and leadership are instrumental in steering Healthcare London toward its goals. My role as the project director is to work closely with the partners to generate and maintain trusting relationships within which we can progress our objectives.
Inclusivity, transparency and the creation of safe zones for discussion are at the core of our collaborative efforts.
These values have been instrumental in enabling us to bring together prominent London clinics and hospitals and create synergy and partnership among diverse healthcare providers.
Inclusivity: We have eliminated high barriers to entry, so we can create an inclusive environment where all partners feel welcome.
Transparency: Clear and open communication about our goals, processes and standards has been instrumental in building trust among our partners.
Safe zones for discussion: We have established pathways for safe discussions on collaborative matters, keeping sensitive commercial details confidential. This ensures that our partners can collaborate without compromising their competitive positions.
Support and vision for the future
Our collaboration has been greatly supported by the Independent Healthcare Providers Network (IHPN), which hosts Healthcare London, and the Department for Business and Trade (DBT).
The IHPN provides an independent platform that creates a safe and productive environment for collaboration.
The DBT has, in addition, played a crucial role in guiding, facilitating, and connecting Healthcare London with relevant embassies.
This has allowed us to successfully engage with key markets like Saudi Arabia. Building on these achievements, we are now looking to extend our offering and explore opportunities for collaboration in additional markets.
Looking ahead, we plan to expand our project team to include other skills sets which are needed for achieving our objectives for the next year.
Our focus will remain on building relationships in identified markets such as Saudi Arabia, Nigeria and India.
We aim for steady growth, learning from our experiences and nurturing the valuable relationships we’ve already established.
Understanding and adapting to the needs of different countries and healthcare markets allows us to support our partners more effectively and maximise our impact on a global scale.
Success in Saudi Arabia
We were incredibly proud to launch Healthcare London at the prestigious Health Tourism Future Forum in Saudi Arabia in April 2024.
It was a fantastic opportunity for us to showcase our collaboration on the global stage for the first time.
London has always been a magnet for international patients, particularly from the Middle East. With such a clear demand in the market, our presence in Saudi Arabia felt like a natural fit.
During the forum, we had the privilege of engaging in many meaningful discussions on how we can best support patients in the region and work collaboratively to address unmet needs. Our message was simple: we are here to complement and contribute to the local healthcare ecosystem, not to compete.
Together with our partners, we strive to support healthcare development worldwide through a range of exciting initiatives. This includes teaching and education for in-country clinical teams, arranging visits for hands-on training and providing advisory services and staff exchanges.
These initiatives enable us to invest back into the global healthcare community, ensuring that the benefits of our expertise and resources extend far beyond the borders of London.
The interest and enthusiasm we saw in Saudi Arabia have set the stage for exciting opportunities and partnerships in the region and beyond.
Together with our partners, we are on a mission to make London a global hub for medical excellence, and our journey in Saudi Arabia is just the beginning of this journey.
Looking ahead
Since being established, we’ve been proud to see our collaborative grow and evolve. As we enter our next phase, we are committed to maintaining our values of trust, collaboration and transparency, expanding our team and continuing to deliver exceptional healthcare to patients worldwide.
To keep up to date with Healthcare London, you can follow us on Linked In at www.linkedin.com/company/healthcare-london/
Michael Barker (right) trained as a physiotherapist and founded health- care strategy business Saffron Steer. He started as Healthcare London project director in late 2022 and also works as a specialist adviser to the NHS’s New Hospital Programme