Healthcare London has stepped up its international engagement with Saudi Arabia, hosting a high-level UK–Saudi Clinical Forum aimed at strengthening cross-border collaboration and expanding access to specialist care.
The virtual event brought together leading clinicians from the UK and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), signalling growing momentum behind international clinical partnerships and the increasing demand for global collaboration in complex patient care.
During the forum, London-based specialists presented complex patient cases and shared expertise across a range of advanced treatment areas, offering Saudi clinicians’ direct insight into the latest innovations emerging from the capital’s private and NHS-affiliated healthcare sector.
Key topics included complex spinal surgery and rehabilitation, the neurobiology of addiction, functional neurosurgery such as deep brain stimulation, and precision cancer care – all areas where London is recognised as a global centre of excellence.
The event was designed not only to showcase clinical innovation but also to strengthen referral pathways and enable more seamless access to specialist treatment for international patients.
Michael Barker, Project Director at Healthcare London, said:
“This Clinical Forum reflects our commitment to building strong, collaborative relationships with clinicians in Saudi Arabia. By sharing expertise, real-world insights and innovations in care, we are supporting better outcomes for patients while strengthening international clinical pathways.”
The forum also provided a platform for clinician-to-clinician dialogue, allowing participants to exchange real-world insights, outcomes data, and best practice — a move seen as critical to building sustainable, long-term international healthcare networks.
The webinar was delivered in partnership with Carnall Farrar and Creative Patterns for Health and featured a line-up of leading London clinicians, including:
- Dr Manan Thakrar (The Priory), on the neurobiology of addiction
- Professor Patricia Limousin (University College Hospitals London), on advanced neurological interventions
- Dr Timothy Crook (Cromwell Hospital), on personalised oncology
- Mr Syed Aftab (HCA UK), on complex spinal surgery and rehabilitation
The event builds on Healthcare London’s broader international strategy, which has seen the organisation deepen engagement across Saudi Arabia in recent years.
Launched at the Health Tourism Future Forum in Riyadh in 2024, Healthcare London marked the first time London’s leading private and NHS teaching hospitals came together to promote the capital’s healthcare offering on a global stage.
Most recently, Healthcare London participated in a clinically led trade mission to Riyadh, further strengthening relationships with Saudi healthcare leaders and expanding opportunities for patient referrals.
Healthcare London is a strategic partnership of 13 leading independent hospitals and NHS Private Patient Units, working together to position London as a global destination for complex care.
Its partners include Circle Health Group, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital Private Care, Cleveland Clinic London, Cromwell Hospital, HCA Healthcare UK, King Edward VII’s Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare Private Care, Phoenix Hospital Group, The London Clinic, University College London Hospitals Private Healthcare, Proton International London, The London Psychiatry Clinic and The Priory. Together, these organisations represent a unified voice for London’s world-class healthcare ecosystem, offering international patients access to some of the most advanced treatments and clinical expertise available anywhere in the world.