A stylish 35 bedroom hotel has opened in central London for patients at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH) who would normally be put up in local hotels.
It may look, feel and smell like a classy establishment, but people not profit is the aim. Its’ manager is Eros Trevisan who has worked at several private hotels at home and abroad, including Marco Pierre White’s hotel and restaurant in Camberley. The hotel is managed by Interserve.
Developed by UCLH Charity, the four star boutique hotel – the first of its kind in the NHS – offers a warm, personalised service normally found in good quality hotels but also provides touches of luxury to help patients retain their independence while undergoing clinical tests and treatments.
UCLH was the pioneer of this type of care within the UK allowing cancer patients to stay in a nearby hotel, free of charge, instead of in hospital which is around three times more expensive.
It is known as ‘ambulatory care’ and patients who receive this treatment are monitored every day. The ambulatory care team may be contacted 24 hours a day and to make this easier, all guest rooms have telephones with direct lines to the hospital switchboard. For emergency situations there is also an additional alarm by the bedside.
The development of the hotel known as the Cotton Rooms was funded by charitable donations. It is a stone’s throw from the University College Hospital Macmillan Cancer Centre and patients can be readmitted to a hospital ward at a moment’s notice.
The patient’s perspective
Twenty-six-year-old cancer patient Tom Clarke was among the first to stay, whilst undergoing chemotherapy treatment:
“I like the layout, the colours and there’s a chilled out, cosy atmosphere. Best of all though is the freedom – I can come and go as I please. I live in Maidstone so it’s a bit far to travel each day when I’m having chemotherapy and the hotel is far better than staying in a hospital ward.
“I like the fact that everyone here is in the same boat – having treatment at UCLH – and that it’s a good way of getting to know other patients.
The hotel’s communal living room is tastefully designed with wooden floors, modern soft furnishings, glossy magazines and cut flowers. The dining room is bright and cheerful with a large flat screen TV for the early morning news. The bedrooms have soft, fluffy white towels, modern bathrooms, bathrobes, slippers, free Wi-fi and complimentary toiletries. There is also a laundry room, e-books to borrow and internet access.
Kirit Ardeshna , Consultant Haematologist and Clinical Lead for the Cancer Centre, said: “It is a successful and alternative way of delivering treatments to cancer patients who would historically have been kept in hospital unnecessarily. These patients are undergoing treatments including bone marrow transplants and high dose chemotherapy.
“Patients are overwhelmingly positive about the service as it gives them the freedom to carry on with a ‘normal’ life in an environment where family and children can stay with them.
“All patients must meet strict criteria and if our medical teams consider that a patient needs to be admitted to hospital then a hospital bed is always provided.”
People not profit is the aim
Philip Brading, chief executive of UCLH Charity, said:
” The hotel will be very welcoming and, while the focus will be firmly on the patient, we have replicated a good quality 4* hotel and will also be able to accommodate other health related staff and personnel when the occasions arise. Just recently the hotel accommodated staff on duty in the hospital during the Olympics. We called it The Cotton Rooms for that reason – we want people to feel warm and well looked after.
“The hotel complements the ethos of the UCH Macmillan Cancer Centre which opened in April this year. It was the perfect time to forge ahead with the project.”
The majority of patients who stay at The Cotton Rooms will be cancer patients. However the hotel will be available for all patients who have undergone treatments at UCLH, who need to be close to a hospital but do not require clinical supervision overnight. Many will have travelled long distances for the very specialised care offered by the Trust’s hospitals, which include the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery.
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