Harley Street news : 2007

The Harley Street Guide keeps you up to date with the latest developments in Harley Street and new treatments and services available in in the private healthcare sector.

10 second laser eye surgery in London A laser eye surgery clinic has invested in a new laser which will treat most prescriptions in less than 10 seconds. This astounding feat, at the new FOCUS Laser Vision clinic, of Wimpole Street, London, is down to the clinic's investment in the WaveLight Allegretto Eye-Q Laser, the newest eye surgery laser in the UK. In America, this laser has been found to have the best safety and vision...
Patients advised of risk from unqualified practitioners Consumers should be more aware of the risks associated with unqualified practitioners who offer botox treatment, a leading expert has claimed.Dr Marie-Helene Marion, consultant neurologist and botox expert, is concerned that members of the public should be more demanding about medical and professional standards, as many receive non-surgical cosmetic treatments from practitioners who have not...
British in denial about the state of their health Despite new health scares appearing almost daily and obesity rates on the rise, a staggering 12 million British people do no exercise. In addition, almost 70 percent of people drink four or fewer glasses of water a day, and just half of us think we do enough exercise or get enough sleep. In a report released by Fitness First and BUPA to coincide with the launch of the BUPA Health Check + Tracker...
New occupational health clinic in London Norwich Union Healthcare has opened a new occupational health clinic in London. The clinic, which performs health screenings, pre-employment medicals, pro-active absence and sickness management, and drug and alcohol testing, is the seventh such clinic to be launched by the insurer. Other locations include Liverpool, Maidenhead, Wolverhampton, and two separate sites in Birmingham. Gil Baldwin,...
Cosmetic surgery experts issue catalogue warning A catalogue offering non-surgical cosmetic treatments has prompted surgeons to issue a warning to consumers.Experts at the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (Baaps) are concerned that consumers will be less likely to consider the effects of non-surgical procedures which, they point out, are irreversible.Baaps president Douglas McGeorge warned: "I'm surprised that any cosmetic...
Tooth whitening 'should be performed by professionals' Treatments to improve the colour of teeth should ideally be carried out by a professional, a private dental practice has advised.A spokesperson for the Mermaid Clinic said that, although there are health risks associated with tooth whitening kits, these are not an issue "as long as it is done under control, by a professional"."First of all, the advantage of going to a dentist to...
'Workplace wrinkling' blamed for cosmetic surgery demand A stressful working environment is a leading reason for cosmetic surgery, it was claimed today.The Harley Medical Group says that employment-related stress is producing a tired, sagging and wrinkled effect in the faces of many hard-working Britons.The group, which dubs the phenomenon "workplace wrinkling", claims that it would cost almost £15,000 for Tony Blair to reverse the...
Government shies away from botox regulation Medical experts have slammed the government's decision to back out of imposing regulations on the use of botox.The Expert Working Group on Cosmetic Surgery had urged the government to introduce regulations to protect patients from backstreet clinics, and to bring the monitoring of botox under the remit of the Healthcare Commission.However, the government has now said that the industry should be...
Cromwell Hospital pioneers brain surgery tool in UK Surgeons at Cromwell Hospital have recently undertaken the first treatment in the UK using an advanced new system for non-invasive brain surgery.The Leksell Gamma Knife Perfexion allows delicate brain surgery to be carried out in a shorter space of time and with minimal discomfort to the patient.Its first UK outing involved a middle-aged athletic woman who was treated for multiple brain tumours...
Bupa in hospital sale talks Bupa is considering selling its 26 hospitals, which currently look after around 800,000 patients each year.The private healthcare provider has confirmed that preliminary discussions with potential purchasers are underway, although the group insists that they may not actually lead to a sale, Healthcare Equipment and Supplies reveals.A statement from the group confirmed that a review is underway...
Obesity surgery the focus of new BUPA website BUPA has launched a new website to provide detailed information for people considering obesity surgery.The new site, bupaweightloss.co.uk, has a calculator with which viewers can work out whether or not they have a serious weight problem, as well as advice for how best to lead a long and healthy life.Clinical director Dr Jean-Jacques de Gorter told Easier website that, with obesity levels rising...
Cosmetic surgery on the rise as prices fall Private hospitals are noticing an increase in the number of patients seeking cosmetic surgery operations as falling prices make procedures affordable for more people.Beardwood Hospital in Blackburn experienced a 141 per cent rise in people undergoing surgery between 2005 and 2006, from 34 to 82, the Lancashire Evening Telegraph reports.Executive director Simon Yates said that cosmetic and obesity...
Lifestyle abortions banned on Harley Street The owners of the Harley Street estate have banned abortion clinics from opening on their premises, insisting that the district should be concentrating on necessary treatments rather than lifestyle medicine or cosmetic surgery.Although the 71-year-old owner, Mary Hazel Czermin, is a Catholic, the estate insists that the decision was not made for moral reasons, rather to ensure that areas such as...
Private clinics defend health MOTs Health MOTs are slowly being introduced on the NHS, but the assessments have long been available at private clinics across the UK.For a few hundred pounds, patients can pay to be thoroughly examined and tested for cholesterol, diabetes, and even the early stages of cancer.Terry Brown, director of Healthcare Now, told the Scotsman that health MOTs are a "valuable service", as they can...
Half of women would consider cosmetic surgery Over half of young women admit that they would have cosmetic surgery to improve their looks, a new survey has revealed.The research, conducted by BBC Radio 1's Newsbeat and 1extra's TXU, also revealed disturbing facts about the ways in which Britain's women perceive their bodies, with nearly half claiming that they have skipped a meal and eight per cent admitting to making themselves sick to lose...
Cosmetic dentistry patients seek Hollywood smiles Dentists in the UK are noticing a fast transition from preventative and curative dentistry to cosmetic, the British Dental Health Foundation has revealed.Foundation spokesman Simon Howell said that cosmetic dentistry was becoming "part and parcel of health and beauty in the UK", and dental health adviser Karen Coates attributed much of the trend to the fact that consumers are constantly...
Pregnant women warned about private scans Expectant mothers have been warned about the risks of obtaining souvenir ultrasound photographs and film clips of their unborn child in the womb.Pregnant women are now able to purchase private pregnancy scans including high-definition, 3D ultrasound images and film clips of their unborn baby which, at anything up to £250, are far superior to those commonly given to parents during routine...