Neurology in Harrow

Neurology is the area of medicine that deals with conditions and diseases that affect the nervous system.

This includes the brain, spinal cord, nerves and muscles.

Neurology is a very complex area of medicine and requires high levels of skill to deliver an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan for patients.

There is often a lot of anxiety related to seeing a neurologist; it can be a confusing and bewildering arena for patients.

At the Clementine Churchill Hospital, you are assured industry-leading consultants who have the experience and clinical expertise to get to the root of any problem, either getting you back on the road to recovery, or managing any long-term conditions to maximize quality of life.

Patients come to us with a wide range of symptoms, including:

• Headaches
• Dizziness and balance issues
• Tremors or weakness
• Numbness and tingling
• Memory problems
• Blackouts

Often we find that the cause of the problem is something quite benign, but our consultant are also highly skilled at diagnosing and treating conditions such as:

• Migraine
• Dementia / Alzheimer’s
• Parkinson’s
• Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
• Epilepsy
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
• Brain tumours

Whatever your circumstances, we offer a highly personalised service where both your diagnosis and treatment will be carried out at a time and in a way that best suits you.

Our goal is to make private healthcare accessible and affordable for all, and we have very competitively priced self-pay packages, along with payment plan options if you are coming to us direct (rather than via GP or insurance referral).

Our consultants are leaders in their field and have access to cutting-edge diagnostic equipment.

This combination of skills and facilities ensures you receive the treatment that is most appropriate in your circumstances.

Our consultants will always discuss all the treatment options available to you in-depth and in plain English.

These options could include:

• Conservative measures: focused on lifestyle adaptation, including exercise, diet and nutritional supplements
• Medical: tablets, injections
• Therapy: physiotherapy, speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, behavioural therapy, psychology
• Surgical: this is rare as most neurological conditions are not amenable to surgery

Whatever the treatment plan you agree with your consultant, you can be assured of a solution that is seamless and tailor-made for your circumstances.

You will also benefit from our multi-disciplinary team approach, which ensures all complex cases are discussed and (if necessary) dealt with by a range of specialists to ensure robust diagnosis and treatment.

Your neurology consultant may work with neurosurgeons (in the case, for example, of deep brain stimulation for Parkinson’s or for spinal operations), neuropsychiatrists, neuroradiologists, neurophysiologists (for nerve conduction studies and EMG/EEG tests), physiotherapists, and more.

This approach ensures complete and holistic care, which is all available on one site, for your convenience.

You will also see the same consultant throughout your treatment to ensure consistency of care.

From the first moment you come to us to the moment you are discharged, we aim to make the process as speedy, convenient and reassuring as possible for you.

Referral

Your journey will start with a referral.

We accept referrals from GPs or health insurance providers, as well as from private patients who book a consultation directly.

We aim to arrange a private consultation for you within as little as 48 hours from referral or first contact, at a time that is convenient for you.

Consultation

During your initial consultation, which will last around half-an-hour, your consultant will talk with you about your specific circumstances and needs.

After a taking a thorough medical history and doing examinations, your consultant may request further investigations, such as blood tests and scans (X-ray, MRI, CT or ultrasound, dependent on the nature of the problem).

If these investigations are needed and a diagnosis cannot be made straight away, we will organise a follow-up appointment in around a week, at a time that is convenient for you.

Following their diagnosis, your specialist will go through your results in plain English, so you are able to make an informed decision on treatment.

Treatment and after-care

As detailed above, there is a range of treatment paths that your consultant might suggest.

Medical treatments can be obtained at our on-site pharmacy, while injections can be done in clinic by your consultant.

If more conservative routes have been exhausted, and you need surgery, this can normally be arranged in around two weeks.

Dependent on the treatment plan you have agreed, your consultant may see you for a follow-up a few weeks later to check on your progress (this will happen automatically in the case of surgery).

Quality:

• We treat all patients with the highest levels of dignity, kindness, compassion and respect
• Your consultant will be a specialist and leader in their field, ensuring you get the most accurate diagnosis and most appropriate treatment plan, using state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment.
• Our consultants also have particular ‘special interests’, which means you can pick one that has particular expertise in the condition/ symptoms that you experience.
• Most of our specialists are working NHS consultants, who have gone through the same (and often more) rigorous assessments and training as you will find in the NHS, including teaching at top teaching hospitals
• Our specialists are regularly assessed to ensure they are up-to-date with all the latest developments in their fields. These assessments also ensure that consultants are continuing to perform successful procedures and have provided excellent patient care
• We host a number of ‘special units’. These are groups of consultants who work together collaboratively in our hospital, meeting regularly to discuss complex cases and agree the most appropriate treatment pathway for you.
• Across the board our staff - from reception staff, to nurses and theatre staff - are highly trained in their specific roles, truly care about patients, and pride themselves on being friendly and welcoming
• We hold an independent Care Quality Commission (CQC) ‘Good’ rating, meaning we are safe, effective, caring, responsive to people’s needs and well-led
• We remain a green Covid site, which means 0% Covid cross-contamination (March 2020-March 2021) thanks to our IPC (infection prevention control) measures that are constantly being revised and adapted.
• Our hospital is state-of-the-art. On site are:
  • 121 beds with all rooms offering the privacy and comfort of en-suite facilities, including TV and Wi-Fi
  • A five bedded Level 3 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) which means that our surgeons can perform complex surgical procedures
  • Five state-of-the-art operating theatres
  • Neuro navigation equipment
  • State-of-the-art Orthopaedic robotic equipment
  • Three operating theatres (two with laminar flow for specialist orthopaedics)
  • A JAG-accredited Endoscopy suite
  • A physiotherapy department with a fully equipped rehabilitation gym and hydrotherapy pool
  • A full range of imaging & diagnostics, including AI assisted CT, MRI, digital mammography, ultrasound & x-ray
  • Private GP services

Speed and convenience:

• You can choose the consultant who is the best fit for you, whether that’s for reasons of culture, gender, religion, language, or just personality.
• You will be seen at a time that suits you, even if that’s early morning, in the evening, or at the weekend. You can book a consultation with just 5-clicks via our website.
• Our multi-disciplinary approach means you can see your consultant, have diagnostics, surgery/treatment and rehabilitation in one hospital; a clean and familiar environment with friendly faces
• We are located in Harrow, Northwest London, with easy access to the City of London. Our location, with multiple transport options, means we are very easy to get to, and we have plenty of on-site parking.