A message from Andrew Fairweather, Strategic Change and Implementation Director
Welcome to December's edition of the consultant newsletter.
As we close out the year, it’s important to reflect on the past 12 months and what an extraordinary year it has been. Cromwell Hospital is undergoing its most significant transformation since opening in 1981, and we’re delighted to end 2025 with the launch of the Lexham Gardens building, a major milestone in this expansion project.
The new Lexham Gardens extension provides dedicated space for Therapies and Radiology, paving the way for additional outpatient and inpatient areas within the hospital throughout 2026. This achievement builds on earlier developments, including a new theatre, recovery department, and two state-of-the-art Angio labs – all part of the same project.
The additional capacity created has been carefully planned and strategically aligned. In 2026, we will complete the final elements of this expansion, all designed to complement one another. This includes new outpatient consultation spaces on the ground floor, utilising the former Radiology department, consolidating outpatient services, and freeing up valuable space for inpatient care.
We will also redevelop the old Angio suite to accommodate a new 3T MRI scanner, replacing the temporary unit currently located at the front of the hospital. In addition, the opening of our Canary Wharf diagnostic centre will mark another exciting milestone, offering advanced diagnostic capabilities and strengthening collaboration with our colleagues at Bupa clinics and Bupa Dental.
2025 also marked an exciting chapter for Bupa Health Services with the addition of two new hospitals to our family: New Victoria Hospital in August and King Edward VII in November. It was fantastic to see so many New Victoria consultants join us at the Consultant Christmas Party, creating an opportunity for consultants from London Medical, Basinghall Clinic, Cromwell Hospital, and New Victoria to connect with colleagues and staff in a truly memorable event. This is just the beginning of many collaborations across our health services network, enabling us to offer patients even greater choice and access to exceptional care.
This year has brought many exciting milestones for our robotic surgery programme. We achieved several firsts with the Da Vinci SP system, including London’s first single-port colorectal surgery, and recently celebrated treating our 100th gynaecology patient using the SP. Innovation remains at the heart of everything we do as we continue to expand our capabilities in robotic surgery.
At this time of year, it’s important to recognise the incredible dedication of our teams across the hospital, who work tirelessly to deliver the highest standards of patient care. Their efforts have been rewarded with several prestigious accolades, including achieving the Macmillan Quality Environment Mark (MQEM) with a perfect score of five out of five – the highest rating possible. This award recognises cancer care environments that go above and beyond to create welcoming, supportive spaces for patients.
We are also proud of individual achievements within our team. Denia Balang, Gynaecology Clinical Nurse Specialist, was honoured with the BSGE Endometriosis Nurse Innovation Award during the BSGE Endometriosis CNS Study Day. Meanwhile, Sharon Jones, Clinical Nurse Specialist, received national recognition after winning at the Diabetes Nursing Awards 2025.
Finally, on behalf of the entire Executive Team, I want to extend our heartfelt thanks to all consultants for your continued commitment and dedication. We wish you a joyful, restful Christmas and New Year, and look forward to working together again in 2026.
Andrew Fairweather, Strategic Change and Implementation Director
[email protected]
