If you live in north west London, it is likely that you have paid a visit to The Royal Free Hospital, either to see a friend or relative, for treatment as an inpatient, or just to sit in A&E, waiting for some minor injury to be treated. Even those of us not living in its vicinity are aware of its importance, as the hospital has occasionally made national news — its isolation unit is used to treat highly infectious diseases such as ebola.
The Royal Free, as it is now almost always known, was founded in 1828 to provide healthcare to those who could not afford to pay.
The title “Royal” was granted by Queen Victoria in 1837 in recognition of the hospital’s work in a major cholera epidemic.
Facilities in the original buildings in Holborn and Islington were eventually combined in 1974 on what is now the familiar Hampstead site, close to the many shops of Hampstead and the leafy surrounds of the Heath.
In Victoria’s era and beyond, many hospitals refused to train women as doctors. The Royal Free was more enlightened and for a time was the only hospital school in London to do so.
General Medical Council figures show that today, women make up 45 per cent of all the doctors on the country’s medical register; 33 per cent of specialists and 51 per cent of GPs.
Today, the hospital cares for 1.6 million patients a year and its 10,000 staff members are supported by some 450 volunteers.
The Hampstead location means that a large number of patients and their visitors are Jewish. They can consult the on-site Jewish chaplain, Reverend Bernd Koschland and patients are able to order kosher meals.
If you are Orthodox and have a relative in the hospital, you can use the special respite room on Shabbat. This is next to the hospital’s prayer room. It has a Shabbat urn, prayer books and a selection of Kedassia-supervised hot and cold kosher refreshments provided by the charity Ezra Umarpeh. (The charity also offers families sleeping accommodation nearby the hospital, so that they can be near their loved ones at all times.)
The Royal Free has its own private patients unit (PPU). Last year, the unit saw and treated almost 15,000 outpatients and admitted almost 5,000 inpatients to its wards, which are on the 12th floor. Private patients benefit from the skills and standards of the NHS, while the unit supports the continued development of the NHS and the hospital as a whole.
The PPU has three dedicated private inpatient wards, as well as day care and hospitality facilities.The PPU has its own kitchen catering for individual dietary and cultural requirements, including a three-course kosher menu for lunch and dinner and special food during festivals such as Passover.
The hospital chaplain is also available to attend patients in the PPU if they wish.
The PPU’s outpatient clinic, the Lyndhurst Rooms, is on the first floor. Here, private patients have quick and easy access to the consultant of their choice — in many cases on the same day as their initial visit.
The PPU deals with areas including cardiology, paediatrics, urology and radiology.
There is also a travel clinic, offering a specialist health and immunisation service for travellers, including advice for pregnant women and children.
Earlier this year, the Royal Free opened a new private patients facility in High Barnet, a short walk from the high street and the NHS Barnet Hospital.
The Royal Free London, Private Patients@Hadley Wood hospital is for day case procedures and outpatients. It is a welcome addition to the Royal Free’s outstanding services.