The UK Healthcare Pavilion – the first virtual platform showcasing the very best of UK Healthcare and Life Sciences – has partnered with The Middle East Medical Portal (MEMP) to both raise awareness and export UK innovation into the Middle East.
Recently launched, the UK Healthcare Pavilion provides news, insights, and interviews from a variety of key opinion leaders and policymakers offering their views on topical subjects in the sector and showcasing the strengths the UK has to offer.
Paul Benton, Managing Director, International, at the Association of British HealthTech Industries (ABHI), said: “UK healthcare solutions carry a great reputation in the Middle East, and we are so pleased to be partnering with MEMP to utilise their expertise and network, which will, in turn, bring quality innovations and treatments to patients in the region.”
MEMP is a UK and Dubai based company serving both UK companies and the NHS with market entry/development services, and healthcare providers in the Middle East with world-class importing of innovation and medical education from UK experts and liaising closely with Middle East regulator bodies. MEMP has exceptional market access as it is an International CPD/CME accredited provider of medical education for healthcare professionals.
Speaking about the partnership Nathan Nagel, CEO, Middle East Medical Portal said: “We are delighted to partner with the UK Healthcare Pavilion and be able to support UK companies to sell into the Middle East, to stimulate the UK economy, and crucially, provide world-class healthcare to patients.”
The UK brand is well respected in the region, presenting an opportunity for UK innovators to support the major drivers in the region, such as ageing populations, increased life expectancy, and sedentary lifestyles that lead to an increase in obesity, cancer and diabetes.
A focus on prevention and well-being, rather than on solely treatment, is leading to opportunities for new models of care and out of hospital services. Saudi Arabia, for example, is on track to implement its new healthcare system encompassing primary care. At the same time, workforce issues – shortages of skilled clinical staff and a heavy reliance on expatriates – is driving demand for technologies including digital health, AI and robotics to provide innovations to bridge the gap. The market for medical technologies in the region is expected to reach US$31.6bn by 2025.
Changing dynamics
For many years countries in the region have relied on sending their citizens overseas for treatment in many specialities. However, such health tourism is decreasing as it is seen as a drain on state funds and a barrier to the region from developing its own healthcare reputation. This change in market dynamics presents an opportunity, not just for companies such as Ltd or PLCs, but for healthcare providers’ organisations.
U.S. healthcare entities picked up on this a while back, and their healthcare providers are already engaged locally. Key players include Mayo Clinic, Harvard Medical International, Johns Hopkins and Cleveland Clinic. However, U.S. dominance is decreasing.
All of this underlines the opportunity that exists for UK healthcare providers – both independent and NHS – to leverage their expertise to make in-roads into the market. This might be done through direct provision of care in the region or the supply of services to existing providers.
This presents an attractive export market for the UK’s biggest healthcare company, the NHS.
NHS engagement in overseas revenue-generating projects is a smart way to generate revenue by leveraging its wealth of global expertise and globally respected brand. The government has also been clear that exporting education, infrastructure and healthcare are key areas for improved trade.
Some of the UK healthcare providers recognised the opportunities early, which proved beneficial for London hospitals such as Moorfields Eye Hospital, Great Ormond Street, Imperial College London and King’s College Hospital, as they increase their engagement in the region. The Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai quickly become one of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region’s leading eye care institutions. Its success led to further expansion in the UAE with the opening of Moorfields Eye Hospital Centre Abu Dhabi, in collaboration with United Eastern Medical Services (UEMS), and collaboration with Al Jalila Children’s Specialty Hospital in Dubai, where Moorfields now delivers the paediatric ophthalmology clinical services.
However, the NHS does not have to open a hospital, or even travel to the region to export its expertise, as the internet opens a whole digital channel to provide online education and knowledge sharing. The Middle East Medical Portal is working with NHS experts to provide excellence in online education from UK based healthcare professionals (HCPs) to HCPs across the region via online CME accredited medical education sessions. In addition to medical expertise, there is considerable demand for knowledge of effective management and organisational development recently developed within the NHS to be deployed in other countries.
The key areas for opportunities for the UK across the region include:
- Digital health, high on the agenda of Middle East providers, and opportunities range from telemedicine to solutions that help manage chronic diseases.
- Healthcare education and training, opportunities to support the capacity building in-country as reliance on staff from other countries reduce and healthcare expertise is developed locally, with the UK being seen as a go-to partner for programmes in this area.
- Middle East health providers look to the UK to develop clinical partnerships ranging from consultancy opportunities to hospital management, in relevant areas such as oncology and cardiology.
- Healthcare systems development is another area where UK expertise has been welcomed to support the introduction of new forms of regulation and to improve the effectiveness of healthcare services delivery.
- Solutions that will help support the region’s population in relation to preventive care and healthy ageing are also prominent on the healthcare agenda.
The UK Healthcare Pavilion and the Middle East Medical Portal are delighted to support UK companies and the NHS. The UK Healthcare Pavilion is now live, follow them on Twitter @UK_Pavillion and using the hashtags #ukhealthpav and #DiscoverUKhealthcare. Or follow them on LinkedIn for all the latest articles, updates, news, and insights from across the sector. For more info visit: ukhealthcarepavilion.com
This article appears in the latest issue of Omnia Health Magazine. Read the full issue online today.
