London - Harley Street medical practitioners

opethdisciple

opethdisciple

opethdisciple

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Whats so special about the medical practitioners in Harley street?

I've heard of this place before and wondered why there seems to be a concentration of medical practitioners in one area in London?

Are they generally of higher quality?
 
Nope don't think so. Anyone can open a private practice, just because it's an expensive area doesn't guarantee quality. I suppose because it's expensive they'd have to have a good volume of private work so shouldn't be awful.
 
It's a traditional area. I am not convinced from the locum work I did there (late 90's) that the quality is any better than elsewhere. You are paying for a name. If you want to know who to see (ie best) then that is very dependent on what the problem is etc.
 
It's probably more of a historical thing. But companies always seem to cluster with their competitors, e.g. the City, Canary Wharf, Soho for film/tv etc.
 
Most of the doctors are NHS doctors doing a bit of work on the side. They rent a room and do a bit of lucrative private work. Harley Street is a convenient location and everyone knows the name. I'm not sure if all of the buildings are listed but the ones I've seen are very old fashioned inside.

Most professions cluster in London - Temple for barristers, Hatton Garden for jewellers, Old Street for Nathan Barleys, etc.
 
it is just a historic area for it - so you'll find a few private diagnostic facilities nearby and a bunch of addresses set up to hire out consulting rooms to consultants... there is even a private A&E/urgent care facility that promises you'll get seen in about 15 mins... though it isn't 24 hours and if it is really serious then I think an ambulance and NHS A&E might be better...

if you're seeing someone there via medical insurance etc.. then they're probably an established NHS consultant anyway

for example I saw an consultant round there one day - had been seen before at London Bridge hospital but on the day I was free for the second appointment was the day he worked from some office over there, other days he was at a NHS hospital
 
I think these days you'll also find a bunch of quacks/fake doctor types renting out rooms there to cash in on the name
 
Wow, lots of very cynical people on here. Or maybe there is a side to it I didn't know. I couldn't imagine a scam-artist would last long with W1 rents to pay, to be honest..

I had laser eye surgery done at a clinic (very well recommended on these forums, and well everywhere) on Harley Street and it was the epitome of professional, private care.
 
It's all well going into the shiny offices and having a nice cup of tea offered by a pretty assistant but what happens when your knee replacement goes **** up or you lap gallbladder removal gets messy and you need serious care? Well it's an ambulance to your nearest A&E then NHS ITU care. I find that very frustrating.
 
Minstadave said:
It's all well going into the shiny offices and having a nice cup of tea offered by a pretty assistant but what happens when your knee replacement goes **** up or you lap gallbladder removal gets messy and you need serious care? Well it's an ambulance to your nearest A&E then NHS ITU care. I find that very frustrating.
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tis normally for consulting, you won't get a gallbladder removed in some back room in Harley street - they'll do the operation somewhere like London Bridge where there are facilities available if something goes wrong
 
When looking at dental work, all the Harley Street practices seemed to be more expensive than doing the same work at an out of zone 1 location.
 
Scam said:
Wow, lots of very cynical people on here. Or maybe there is a side to it I didn't know. I couldn't imagine a scam-artist would last long with W1 rents to pay, to be honest..
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well there are chiropractors there :D

though seriously there are all sorts of whack jobs that could rent offices there - if you're seeing an actual medical doctor then it should be less of an issue - often you'll find them through the website of a much larger medical company that works with private insurers etc...

then again there are medically qualified people offering all sorts of cosmetic stuff there, that you'll pay for privately... there are plenty of unethical scumbags in every profession
 
Well basically I'm looking for a Dentist to do an implant. I've been recommended a dentist by the family in Camden town, but was curious about this fabled 'Harley Street'.

Really it came to my mind as I've also been recommended an Osteopath by a mate who also happens to be in Harley Street. This one according to my friend works with professional athletes so I have some confidence and don't mind paying good money if he knows he's stuff.
 
dowie said:
tis normally for consulting, you won't get a gallbladder removed in some back room in Harley street - they'll do the operation somewhere like London Bridge where there are facilities available if something goes wrong
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Very few private hospitals have high dependency, let alone ITU level beds. So when anything serious goes wrong it's off to he NHS.

I know several colleagues who have worked in private hospitals and the out of hours cover is woeful.
 
Minstadave said:
Very few private hospitals have high dependency, let alone ITU level beds. So when anything serious goes wrong it's off to he NHS.

I know several colleagues who have worked in private hospitals and the out of hours cover is woeful.
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we're talking about London though, not some small BUPA hospital in some town in the midlands...

I'm pretty sure London Bridge Hospital does have the facilities
 
Scam said:
Wow, lots of very cynical people on here. Or maybe there is a side to it I didn't know. I couldn't imagine a scam-artist would last long with W1 rents to pay, to be honest..

I had laser eye surgery done at a clinic (very well recommended on these forums, and well everywhere) on Harley Street and it was the epitome of professional, private care.
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Don't think people are saying its a uh scam - but that the level of service isn't anything especially different to anywhere else that has a less prestigious name.
 
Rroff said:
Don't think people are saying its a uh scam - but that the level of service isn't anything especially different to anywhere else that has a less prestigious name.
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Given my experiences at LVC, and then going with a friend to have his eyes done at a "only from" provider, I can only disagree.
 
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