Ravenscourt Park Hospital Set to Reopen as Private Cancer Care Facility

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150 bed hospital could be first to offer proton beam therapy in 2017

Ravenscourt Park Hospital looks set to be reopened as a private cancer care facility by an Abu Dhabi-based group called VPS Healthcare.

The group is reportedly investing £150 million in the hospital, which will have 150 beds and will be the first private hospital in the country to offer the proton beam therapy when it opens in 2017.

The historic grade II-listed property was the former home of the Royal Masonic Hospital. In 2002 it became part of the NHS as the Ravenscourt Park Hospital, but closed down in 2006 as it was only half full and running at a loss.

Its new owners however, will retain the name Ravenscourt Park Hospital.

The hospital, according to Dr Shamsheer Vayalil, foudner and MD of VPS Healthcare, would employ arond 950 healthcare professionals, including consultants.

" This will give us access to the technology, healthcare expertise, best of locations, access to leading doctors and puts us in a league of world-class healthcare providers," says Dr Vayalil.

Proton beam therapy was in the news recently due to the story of Ashya King, who his parents to receive the therapy. It is not yet available on the NHS, but some hospitals are hoping to offer it by 2017.

The new Hammersmith hospital would the first launch in Europe for VPS Healthcare, which already owns and runs hospitals in the UAE, Oman and India.

This news comes at a time when local people ae continuing to fight plans by the government to downgrade Hammersmith's other hospital, Charing Cross, selling off most of the site, reducing the A&E to an Urgent Care Centre and closing most of its 500 beds. You can read more about this campaign at Save Our Hospitals.

 

October 2, 2015