NHS PRIVATE PATIENT UNITS
Shams Maladwala, Managing Director, The Royal Marsden Private Care
THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS Private Patient Units (PPUs) within the UK National Health Service (NHS) offer a service like no other. This integrated model of care aims to provide the best of both worlds for patients and clinicians: NHS scale, specialism, research and governance delivered with private-sector service standards. It is because of these benefits that we have seen the NHS PPU model growing quickly, outstripping other private hospitals in the market. As a result, patient demand has increased considerably over the past five years. This growth means we can increase provision and access for all patients, and NHS Trusts have responded by expanding their facilities and introducing new pioneering technology. For example, at The Royal Marsden we are looking forward to opening our new diagnostic and treatment facility in Cavendish Square in central London, and St Mary’s
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Hospital, which is part of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, is opening a new ‘hybrid’ theatre suite to treat patients with blood-vessel problems. Importantly, some NHS PPUs have a unique integrated model in which all revenue generated from private care goes back to the Trust. This symbiotic relationship aids the sustainability of such Trusts and also means that all patients benefit.
Rigorous standards Governance is increasingly a priority for patients and their consultants – and rightly so. We need to ensure that patients receive safe, high-quality treatment that adheres to the very best regulation. This is particularly important for accessing drugs that might not yet have received approval by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).