UK ‘should take Middle East lead’ in move towards alternative locations for healthcare

Public perception of what is acceptable for healthcare services was given a major boost during the Covid-19 pandemic. For instance, people became more comfortable with testing and vaccination services being delivered in gyms, schools, cinemas and shopping centres. The convenience of acccessing healthcare in community-based settings was undeniable and this has continued to be reflected in the role-out of community diagnostic centres.

This is now an area of considerable interest and growth. For instance, Tesco, one of the UK’s leading retailers, recently announced a pilot for partnering with healthcare providers in order to enable its customers to get advice, treatment and virtual GP appointments for a range of health concerns. The services are to be provided in Tesco’s first ever dedicated health zone, bringing together food, health and wellness ranges, alongside enhanced pharmacy and healthcare services, to make it easier for customers to manage all aspects of their wellbeing in one place.

However, whilst the UK considers the benefits of this 'new' moodel of healthcare delivery, it is interesting to note that the MENA region has been leading on healthcare delivery in the retail environment for some time now.

Across the region, retail centres are widespread, modern and well-designed – reflecting tourism, local investment and climate factors and serving as community hubs for more than retail. These locations offer central services for information, civic administration, entertainment, transport and other services – including significant healthcare provision.

There are many advantages of centering healthcare in retail centres, including improved accessibility and reduced inequality. Even before specific healthcare services are offered, retail malls are perceived as safer and more welcoming across demographics – for instance there is no traffic and the venues are often well staffed – compared to other community domains. There are global examples of utilising such spaces as activity and exercise centres to improve mobility and community engagement. This is as true in the cold and wet climate of the UK as it is in the hot climate of MENA.

Examples include the Dubai Mediclinic - Dubai's biggest largest outpatient care medical centre, actually inside the Dubai Mall, which is the world's biggest shopping complex. This offers a wide range of facilities including day surgery, endoscopy, outpatient consultations and treatment rooms, physiotherapy and diagnostic imaging, with an on-site lab and pharmacy. 

Similarly, August 2024 saw the opening of Silicon Central Mall’s partnership with mental health advocates. These partnerships included Fakeeh University Hospital and Life Medical Centre, to bring educational workshops and seminars: providing valuable information and insights on various mental health topics; awareness campaigns: spreading awareness about mental health issues through various channels; support groups and counseling: offering support and counselling sessions for those in need; and physical fitness and wellness programmes: promoting overall wellbeing through fitness and wellness activities, including a psychiatric, counselling, and neuroscience centre located within the mall. The placement of sometimes sensitive services within a retail or other community location can be invaluable in breaking down barriers and making it easier for patients to access services without any of the issues of attending stand-alone or more remote facilities.

Patient trust has been maintained in the location of services in non-traditional settings by ensuring that legal and regulatory frameworks remain stringent and that licensing and inspection maintains high quality standards. Both facilities and healthcare professionals require mandatory licensing and compliance, regardless of the setting, with the law and authorities enforcing strict ethical practices, including adherence to licensed expertise, prohibition of misleading advertising, and maintaining patient confidentiality.

A good example of this is with regard to legal requirements for non-surgical cosmetic procedures – a popular sector of healthcare services in MENA and one which is offered widely in retail, hotel, hospitality or similar non-hospital settings. Since 2019 in particular, the UAE has regulated providers of such interventions to a high standard, requiring practitioners to be specifically qualified and licensed to provide such services. This may be contrasted with the UK, which is still  awaiting updated regulation in this area, even after considerable criticism of the quality and safety of some services has risen.

As the opportunities to re-centre healthcare services into the UK community continue to grow, we should look to take note of the leadership shown in this more mature market in MENA.

For people in the UK and Ireland, traditionally GP attention required a visit to a local health clinic or surgery. Medicine, and the offering that private healthcare provides however, has moved on considerably from that model, with healthcare offerings now found in many, what could be considered as, ‘non-traditional healthcare locations’. 

John McEvoy of Duality Healthcare pointed to a number of examples including the recent move to the virtual/telemedicine model as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, which is a forum many individuals in the UK and Ireland, pre-Covid, could not have imagined as the new ‘norm’ for engagement with their local physician. This is just the first of many changes that he can see coming down the line in healthcare across the UK and Ireland as the extreme pressures within the public system reach breaking point.  

McEvoy said: “There are many examples and opportunities of how non-traditional healthcare locations can alleviate the pressures on the system. For instance, urgent care centres for patients to be seen out of a hospital setting can help reduce A&E numbers and waiting times. Waiting lists, often measured in months or even years, may be reduced by wider availability of mobile health clinics which provide not only GP services in the community, but also portable diagnostic equipment. There are opportunities to provide healthcare services in the retail setting that, aside from care quality, is a convenience which is one of the top factors contributing to patient treatment decisions.”