The Saudi Health Mission in the United Kingdom and Ireland opened in 1974 to represent the Saudi Ministry of Health, under the umbrella of the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in London. It is one of four Saudi Health Missions around the world and we provide services for Saudi citizens in both the UK and the Republic of Ireland.
The services we provide for visiting Saudi patients divide into three categories. Firstly, we provide services such as medical supervision and case management for Saudi patients in the UK who are sponsored by the Saudi government. These are complicated or specialist cases in which the patient requires treatment abroad. More straightforward cases can be treated in highly equipped tertiary hospitals in Saudi Arabia for free.
For example, for a Saudi patient visiting the UK, we will select the right hospital and the best medical centre based on the tests or treatment that they require. Sometimes we will also find a specific doctor or consultant for more complex cases.
In the second category are patients who choose to pay for medical treatment outside Saudi Arabia, even though the treatment is available within the Kingdom. The Saudi Health Mission assists these ‘self-pay’ patients in deciding the hospital or clinic to select, and also we can help with scheduling appointments and translating medical reports.
The third category includes visitors who may not have a medical condition currently, but who wish to see a consultant or have a routine check-up while they are in the UK on vacation. Some people may want to see a cardiologist or neurologist, for example, so we help them select which would be best, based on any medical reports and a brief history of their case.
In the past few years, on average, we have assisted just over 200 patients annually with their healthcare needs. The Mission also handles most emergency cases involving Saudi citizens during their trips to the UK. We covered almost 44 emergency cases in 2018.
Although most medical treatments and procedures can be carried out in hospitals in Saudi Arabia, there are some cases where there is a need for the government to send patients to the UK. For instance, a patient requiring a bone marrow transplant will find it much easier to find a match donor and have their transplant in the UK. There is also a greater availability of hospital beds in the UK, which are required for transplant patients needing to be kept in isolation following their treatment.
Saudi Arabia also has a partnership with Oxford University for craniofacial procedures. The results of such surgery have been amazing, even with some of the most complicated cases.
In cancer care, while patients in Saudi Arabia have access to excellent oncology services at home, some choose to have their treatment in the UK. We have good relationships with many hospitals across the country, particularly in London, and refer such cases to the Royal Marsden or University College London Hospitals (UCLH), for example. The standard of the healthcare system in the UK is amazing and we are very happy with our collaboration with the hospitals here.
As well as assisting people from Saudi Arabia with finding the right hospital or consultant for their treatment, we also offer advice to patients to help during their stay in the UK. When the patient arrives, we offer useful brochures and guidance on British culture and conventions. These are only small details, but they can be very helpful for patients and their families during the period of their treatment and recovery.
In addition to providing services for visiting patients, the Saudi Health Mission is also working on a number of projects with UK hospitals and medical centres to establish a strong collaboration between hospitals in the two countries. These collaborations take different forms, such as research partnerships or educational collaborations, including sending Saudi physicians, nurses and pharmacists for training in UK hospitals and colleges. We view this very much as a win-win situation for Saudi Arabia and the UK.
The Mission also facilitates the process for some of the UK citizens who would like to work at hospitals in Saudi Arabia. This includes dealing with the initial contract before they travel, as well as helping with visas and transport.
