The Harley Street of……

Harley Street is possibly the world’s most famous area for medical practice. For around 150 years medical practitioners have been setting up practices in Harley Street and the surrounding areas. Around the 1960’s doctors began moving to this area of London, and some set up practices from their homes. This began a trend that transformed the area into the centre of excellence it has become. Once a few doctors began to work in the area it opened the flood gates. The success of these doctors encouraged other to move to the area too, and it almost became necessary for the best private doctors to work in the area, as it became the go-to place for those seeking quality private healthcare. This reputation continues to this day, with around 1,500 medical practitioners in and around Harley Street, across a broad range of different services. These days they include chiropractors, psychiatrists, and cosmetic surgeons.

The London Clinic is the most well known organisation in Harley Street, although most of its services now run nearby on the corner of Devonshire Place and Marylebone Road. The London Clinic is a private healthcare organisation which was established in 1932.

Harley Street’s reputation has meant the term “Harley Street of” has been used to describe other street around the world. So now let’s have a look at the Harley Street’s of the North, Australia, Enniskillen and Ramsgate.

Welbeck Street is in the West End of London, two block west of Harley Street, and also has a reputation for healthcare. A large part of this is due to its closeness to Harley Street. Because of its fame, property price and rent is high in Harley Street, so many practitioners unable to afford this have instead opted to practice close to, but not in, Harley Street. Welbeck Street is the best example of this. It’s most famous medical institution is The London Welbeck Hospital. In the 20th century it was a nationally know maternity hospital, but possibly as a sign of the times it now specialises in cosmetic surgery. The Welbeck Street Hospital and the British Institute of Radiology are two other well know institutions on the street. The Welbeck Street Hospital specialised in diseases of the nervous system, while the British Institute of Radiology is the oldest radiology society in the world, and dates back to the 1800’s.

Rodney Street in Liverpool is commonly known as the “Harley Street of the North”, due to the large number of doctors based there. It originated from the 1780’s and was mostly developed in the 1820’s. During this period it mostly housed the wealthy and former Prime Minister William Ewart was born there. A number of medical Consulting Rooms reside in Rodney Street, and anything from cosmetic surgeons to dentists practice there. It is still seen as an area for medical expertise to this day.

Macquarie Street in Sydney, Australia was once nicknamed “the Harley Street of Sydney”. Like much of the city the name bares that of Lachlan Macquarie, who was the governor of Sydney from 1810 until 1821. He was responsible for much of the early building of the City, including this street. Until around 20 years ago there were a large number of medical practices there, although this has mostly now been taken over by business premises, as the street runs through the City just east of the centre. One famous medical building that does remain though is the Sydney Hospital, which is the oldest hospital in Australia. It has been around since 1788 and at its present site since 1811. It specialises in ophthalmology and hand surgery, but also houses an emergency department.

Two other places that have had areas compared with Harley Street (though on much smaller scales) are Darling Street in Enniskillen in Ireland, and Chapel Place in Ramsgate in England.

Enniskillen is a town of approximately 13,000 people in the province of Ulster. It is a Georgian town with Victorian influences. Within the town lies Darling Street, which was referred to as, “the Harley Street of Enniskillen” in the 1840’s. This comes from the fact that nine of the eleven doctors surgeries in the town where based in this street.

Finally there is “the Harley Street of Ramsgate”, Chapel Place. Ramsgate is in the South-East of England on the peninsular of the Isle of Thanet in Kent. It is a seaside town of around 40,000 people. Chapel Place was a highly sort after area in the late 18th and early 19th century. Royalty and other wealthy people settled in the area around this time. Its Georgian buildings were once home to the surgeries of many doctors and dentists, hence it’s association with Harley Street. This is no longer the case though, and it is now populated by businesses and flats.

Andrew Marshall ©

Consulting Rooms Harley Street