Press release - January 2010
Pioneering cancer centre takes centre stage in the heart of
Harley Street
The world’s media invited to take an exclusive look behind the
doors of The London Clinic’s state-of-the-art new cancer
centre
The London Clinic – the UK’s largest,
independently owned hospital - will today (Wednesday 20 Jan 2010)
showcase its new £80millon cancer centre, demonstrating how access
to some of the world’s leading consultants and revolutionary
equipment will help take cancer treatment and care in the UK to
another level.
The purpose-built, state-of-the-art facility
(which opened its doors to the first patients 4 weeks ago) has been
in development for the past five years and combines cutting-edge
technology with a holistic and progressive approach to cancer care.
Designed exclusively with the “patient in mind”, the impressive new
building (at 22 Devonshire Place, close to Marylebone High Street)
boasts unique facilities to help people feel relaxed and
comfortable whilst undergoing their cancer care.
The cancer centre is 7,500m2 built
across eight storeys, three of which are below ground level, is the
largest new build in the private healthcare sector in the past 30
years. It has 47 individual bedrooms and 22 day care pods (for
patients receiving chemotherapy and transfusions) where patients
can keep feel totally in control of their surroundings (including
temperature, lighting, entertainment and angle of their bed) due to
the unique “Intouch” technology system.
However, the “jewel in the crown” of The
London Clinic Cancer Centre –which promises to bring hope to cancer
patients, both from across the UK and internationally – is the
specialist radiotherapy department. Over £6million has been
invested in major new items of radiotherapy, radiosurgery and
imaging equipment – and is one of the first hospitals in the UK to
offer two of the world’s leading technologies for cancer
patients:
- * CyberKnife® Robotic Radiosurgery System – a
non-invasive and pain free alternative to surgery for the treatment
of both cancerous and non-cancerous tumours. It destroys tumours
with high-dose beams of radiation and is able to treat any part of
the body with pinpoint precision, minimising radiation exposure of
surrounding healthy tissue and critical organs.
- * The Varian Trilogy® System with
RapidArcTM – delivers radiation directly into tumours,
thereby lessening the risk of attacking the surrounding healthy
tissue, at a greater speed than other conventional radiotherapy
treatments.
Malcolm Miller, Chief Executive of The London
Clinic says:
“This is very exciting time for The
London Clinic and our patients – as well as for the future of
cancer treatment and care. Our new centre will provide renewed hope
and optimism for cancer patients and their families and will help
put the UK back on the cancer map. We have sourced
physicists, staff and equipment from across the world and I hope we
will soon be able to rival, and in many instances exceed, the level
of treatment that we all too often read about in the States and
other parts of Europe.”
Alongside the existing and comprehensive
oncology and haematology services at The London Clinic (which
includes stem cell transplants, chemotherapy and sophisticated
cancer screening techniques) we offer the following:
* Surgical,
radiological (including radio frequency ablation) and medical
interventions for
advanced disease
- as well as fatigue management and end of life care
* Radioactive
nuclear medicine treatments – with the ability to nurse patients in
specifically
allocated rooms
* The London Clinic
Breast Centre – offering a range of specialist services from
screening,
diagnosis and
treatment through to re-constructive surgery
* Dedicated oncology
pharmacy with sterile unit for preparation of chemotherapy agents
-
staffed by specialist
oncology pharmacists
*
Multidisciplinary expert teams supporting consultant surgeons and
physicians include:
clinical assistants;
specialist dieticians; and a number of clinical nurse specialists
in the
areas of pain
management, infection control, endocrinology and diabetes,
gynaecology,
colorectal, urology,
liver and breast care
* Stem cell
transplant unit - a major London collection centre for stem cells
for the Anthony
Nolan Trust and
the British Bone Marrow Registry for peripheral blood stem cell
collection
and bone marrow
harvesting
* Endoscopy unit
offering comprehensive range of bowel cancer screening options
including
Faecal Occult Blood
testing, flexible sigmoidoscopy, CT (virtual) colonography and
colonoscopy
* Dedicated
colposcopy suite run by consultant gynaecologists who are fully
accredited by
the British Society
of Colposcopy and have extensive experience in performing
colposcopy
examinations
* Nurse
and counselling support (including the ‘drop in’ Richard Hambro
Macmillan Cancer
Information Centre)
* Complementary
therapies include acupuncture aromatherapy massage, reflexology
and
Reiki
To maintain the highest standards of
cleanliness, all areas have been created and meticulously planned
to prevent the spread of infection, including sensor taps and the
design of rooms and corridors without sills or ledges. Patient
notes are logged electronically at their bedside, which means
consultants can access important records 24/7 from anywhere in the
world. And, staff, patients and visitors on underground levels will
be connected to Regents Park and the outside environment via ‘real
time’ TV screens.
Multidisciplinary teams will also mean that
the level and continuity of personalised patient care will be
unrivalled.
Malcolm Miller adds: “Building on our
heritage of over 75 years experience, we recognised a significant
need for advanced cancer services in the UK. The combination of
pioneering technology, patient care and expertise available ‘under
one roof’ is set to pave the way for the treatment of cancer in the
21st Century and we are proud to offer this centre of
excellence for patients and medical professionals alike.”
-ENDS-
For more press information, or to
request an interview with a key spokesperson, medical professional
or patient case study please contact 020 8786 3860/0770 948 7961 or
email pressoffice@thelondonclinic.co.uk
For further
information or to experience a virtual tour of the new cancer
centre, please visit: www.cancercarelondon.com
Notes to editors
* The London Clinic is the UK’s largest
independently-owned non-profit hospital
* 271 patient rooms and 12 operating theatres
including dedicated endoscopy suites and a day surgery unit
* 24 hour consultant-led Intensive Care Unit
with 11 beds
* As a registered charity and not-for-profit
organisation, The London Clinic is able to continuously reinvest in
the latest medical technology, facilities and clinical and nursing
support
* Highly complex procedures in addition to
routine surgery and medicine such as live donor liver and kidney
transplants
* Located on Harley Street in the heart of
London’s medical community
* Long-standing international reputation
attracting leading consultants for over 77 years