RMH Private Care opens Cavendish Square cancer centre

The Royal Marsden Hospital (RMH) today officially opened its new private cancer diagnostic and outpatient facility in central London’s Cavendish Square.

The new centre, which extends over the ground floor and extensive basement of a listed Edwardian building has been designed to provide a calm, modern and reassuring environment for patients. Blending modern design elements with thoughtful use of space and the latest diagnostic equipment, the centre is expected to attract increased interest from international patients once travel restrictions are limited.

RMH Private Care is the UK’s most successful NHS PPU with an international reputation for cancer care. On average, roughly 30% of its patients are from overseas but managing director Shams Maladwala said it was expecting this to increase to around 40% at the new Cavendish Square site.

‘Improving patient access to better and more rapid diagnostics is a priority at The Royal Marsden, and Cavendish Square is part of a broader strategy to diagnose cancer faster and earlier. Thanks to our integrated model, patients seeking the very best private cancer treatment can do so safe in the knowledge that it is backed by the strictest safety standards and governance usually only seen in the NHS,’ he said.

Designed as a ‘one-stop-shop’, the centre houses a state-of-the-art diagnostic imaging suite providing MRI, CT, X-ray, ultrasound and mammography. An integrated blood laboratory also means samples are analysed on site, with the results turned around in a matter of hours. The idea is that patients can access fast appointments with testing and results available on the same day to help remove some of the anxiety associated with cancer diagnosis.

The centre is also home to a minor procedure suite and a medical day unit with bespoke treatment bays, which will provide care for UK and overseas patients who are receiving some of the most advanced cancer treatments. Patients will also benefit from fast, direct access to RMH consultants specialising in a full range of cancer services.

Cavendish Square will initially see both private and NHS patients and will contribute to the financial sustainability of The Royal Marsden, with revenue generated from private care reinvested back into the Trust.

‘Further investment in the Trust’s NHS services from Private Care revenue provides the best of both worlds for both patients and clinicians, supporting The Royal Marsden in continuing to be worldwide leaders in the field of cancer diagnosis, treatment, care, research and education,’ added Maladwala.

Professor Chris Nutting, consultant clinical oncologist and clinical director of The Royal Marsden Private Care at Cavendish Square, said: ‘The Royal Marsden sees and treats 60,000 NHS and private patients every year and Cavendish Square is an exciting new development that will allow our multidisciplinary teams to offer world class standards of cancer care to even more patients, diagnosing cancers faster with a targeted and personalised approach.’