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Private Care


The UK as a global centre of healthcare excellence


London hospitals lead the way in independent healthcare, says Fiona Booth, CEO of AIHO, but eastward trends means expertise and treatment are going global


W


e are at an exciting juncture in international healthcare. Technological advances have


given us the tools to diagnose and treat some of the most complex and virulent medical problems out there, and globalisation has enabled tens of thousands to travel, sometimes long distances, to receive this treatment. These two trends have given rise to international centres of healthcare excellence, of which the UK is one. That is why I am delighted to contribute


to this publication. As the CEO of the Association of Independent Healthcare Organisations (AIHO), I represent acute hospitals run separately from the NHS, the public healthcare system in the UK. AIHO members are found across the entire country, and patients travel in large numbers every year to be treated in them. Of course, we are all aware of a shift in geopolitical emphasis eastwards, a shift that will accelerate and grow in the coming years. But I hope that London will retain its international reputation, and that AIHO members can help pave the way as we look to an eastern future. To do that, we have to ask how London


acquired its reputation as an international centre of healthcare excellence. I believe it is because the quality of care in our hospitals has enabled this enviable international reputation. Patients are treated with dignity, respect and their wishes are paramount in their clinicians’ minds. Some may receive simple outpatient care, whereas others may require more complex types of surgery, requiring a longer stay. The King Edward VII Hospital in


London provides a good example of the flexible care on offer. On the one hand, the hospital offers a range of occupational and rehabilitative supporting therapies. Some of these are aimed at those recovering from sporting injuries, while others support patients who have had orthopaedic surgery or suffer from arthritis. King Edward VII also offers advanced surgical and critical care, which can require multi-night stays, intensive staffing and follow-up care.


International choices So there is a real diversity of provision here. Some people come to London for extremely specialised cancer treatment; others for more routine


no industry untouched. Healthcare is no different, and we expect to see a growing internationalisation of expertise and treatment. Indeed, some AIHO members belong to international chains of hospitals. We believe that these institutions can assist and develop the internationalisation of healthcare, exporting our reputation for first-rate care around the world. Despite recent medical advances,


there remain significant medical challenges in the 21st century. Some are well established, such as the fight against cancer and smoking. Others are relatively new, such as obesity. In a global environment, it is clearly a bonus that more people can travel for diagnosis


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AIHO


‘Some people come to London for extremely specialised cancer treatment; others for more routine surgery unavailable in their country.’ Fiona Booth


surgery unavailable in their country. As a consequence, we have an admirable mix of specialised clinics, general hospitals and consultants’ practices. Moreover, as an international city, patients can be made comfortable by receiving treatment from clinicians who speak their mother tongue, or benefit from readily-available, highly-qualified medical interpreters. So we believe that London will


continue to be a global centre of healthcare excellence for the foreseeable future. Nonetheless, we would be foolish to ignore the shift in emphasis and investment to the East, a movement which we believe will leave


86 Global Opportunity Healthcare 2015 | Issue 01


and treatment, or can elect to be treated in their home countries. We hope that a growing number will choose to be treated in institutions operated as satellite operations of UK-based hospitals. There are no easy answers to these


challenges, but AIHO members and hospitals are very optimistic about helping to find those answers.


Further information London Office: 020 3713 1740 Email: info@aiho.org.uk www.aiho.org.uk


global-opportunity.co.uk


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AIHO


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