An interview with Dr Suhail Hussain on providing better Healthcare Services in the UK

According to recent data from the British Medical Association, the median waiting time for treatment with the NHS has increased to 14.4 weeks – a substantial rise from the pre-COVID median wait of 8.4 weeks. Additionally, around 3.06 million patients have been waiting for more than 18 weeks for treatment, with nearly 200,000 patients waiting over a year. These long waiting times can lead to delayed diagnoses and treatments, exacerbating health issues and causing unnecessary stress for patients.

In the words of Dr Suhail Hussain, and many other medical professionals, the “system is totally broken”. This is why the 49-year-old chose to leave his GP role with the NHS after more than 20 years to work in private practice where he is now able to provide patients with timely, thorough and personalised care as a home doctor. Operating across Hertfordshire and Greater London, Dr Hussain has built a tremendous reputation for providing a great alternative to GP practices – boasting a clientele ranging from families and elderly patients with limited mobility to famous actors and high net worth individuals. We spoke with Dr Hussain to find out more.

Can you start by telling us a bit about your own background?

Medicine is a genetic disorder in my family (one might even say it’s autosomal dominant!). There have been doctors in my family stretching back five generations. So, whilst, not inevitable, there was a high probability that I would enter medicine. I grew up seeing what a true doctor-patient relationship looked like as my father was a GP of over 35 years – providing amazing family centred care where patient and physician have a real connection. Now the system is totally broken. It’s nigh on impossible to get an appointment with GP, let alone the same one on two occasions. Time with the doctor is limited to one problem in a 10-minute appointment. Both parties are left frustrated and dissatisfied with the system. Practicing the way I do now, allows me to give undivided attention to my clients – they never feel rushed, and I know that I have all the information needed to help them most effectively. I have formulated the optimum membership plan for busy families to experience the ultimate healthcare experience.

What led you to focus on providing home visits rather than appointments in a clinic setting?

GP home visits provide a convenient, stress-free alternative to clinic appointments. They are ideal for busy individuals, families, and those with mobility challenges. Eliminating travel saves time and reduces exposure to illness in crowded waiting rooms.

For elderly or less mobile patients, home visits remove the physical strain of travel, ensuring they receive care without unnecessary discomfort. Furthermore, being treated in a familiar environment can ease anxiety, leading to better communication and more accurate diagnoses. Additionally, GPs can gather valuable diagnostic insights by observing a patient’s living conditions, aiding in holistic treatment planning.

Beyond medical benefits, home visits foster a stronger doctor-patient relationship built on trust and continuity of care. They represent a patient-centred approach that prioritises comfort, convenience, and bespoke medical attention. This personalised approach is especially valued by high-net-worth individuals seeking privacy and exclusivity in their healthcare experience. I like to call it modern medicine with traditional bedside values.

With the increased prevalence of telephone appointments in the UK, how important is the retention of face-to-face care?

Telemedicine (telephone and video) has revolutionised healthcare by enhancing accessibility and convenience, particularly for remote patients, those with mobility issues, and busy professionals. It supports chronic disease management, mental health care, and follow-up consultations, making healthcare more flexible and efficient.

However, in-person consultations remain irreplaceable for comprehensive care. Physical examinations, direct diagnostic assessments, and non-verbal cues provide vital insights that remote consultations cannot fully capture. Immediate diagnostic testing and emergency interventions are also only possible in face-to-face settings, ensuring timely and accurate treatment.

Non-verbal communication plays a crucial role in patient care, offering insights into emotions, discomfort, and overall wellbeing. This human interaction fosters trust, strengthens the doctor-patient relationship, and contributes to a more holistic approach to medicine, something that initially drew many, including myself, to the profession.

While telemedicine is a valuable tool, it should complement rather than replace traditional consultations. The challenge lies in balancing technological efficiency with the irreplaceable human connection that defines great healthcare. As we embrace innovations like AI-assisted diagnostics, we must ensure that medicine remains both a science and an art.

In addition to home visits, you also offer assessments at workplaces and have even worked with production companies that needed help during filming. What are some of the biggest challenges you have encountered that you wouldn’t typically get from a clinic environment?

As already mentioned, my service is primarily a mobile one where I go to the patient, rather than them coming to me. This has included visits to hotels, offices and film studios. This has been an intriguing and, sometimes, challenging aspect of my work.

Simple things that one may not initially think of include mundane tasks as parking and navigating access to high rise office blocks. One time I arrived at a hotel to be told the guest/patient had gone shopping to Selfridges! She clearly wasn’t that ill then.

Working with production companies can be very frustrating. Often there are two to three people to go through to get to the patient themselves, particularly if they are a high-profile actor. There’ll be the production team, the agent, and then the actor.

Generally, the actors have all been amazing, but I had a couple of occasions where they threw a strop. I had been told they wanted a B12 shot, but when I arrived, they said they actually wanted a vitamin drip – which I didn’t have. I ended up giving five B12 shots to other crew members.

On another job I was seeing several cast and crew members when an irate director popped his head around our makeshift consultation area and said, “keep it down there luvvie, we’re filming”. This leads me to another element of seeing people on set – privacy and ability to examine properly. Needless to say, film sets are not set up for clinical consultations, so I’ve had to be quite creative.

However, the weirdest situation was where I visited someone who owned several restaurants and consulted him in one of his properties (which was closed at the time). I needed to examine his hips which required him to lie down. He ended up putting two circular restaurant tables together and lay down on them. 

With access to healthcare being one of the biggest challenges in the UK, how are you able to ensure your patients can get an appointment when required?

My service is based around convenience and ease of access. Whenever anyone calls to enquire about seeing me, they get directly through to my phone (via call divert), rather than a voicemail or PA. I can also be contacted via my website through a contact form or email, again both of which come to me.

I then call them back, get an idea of the problem and arrange the appropriate type of appointment.

Once I have seen them, I ensure that I always follow up to check how they are doing and ensure everything is progressing well. This includes checking up on their symptoms or ensuring referrals are arranged according to need.

If they sign up to my membership service, then they are given direct access to my mobile phone so that I can answer any questions they may have in a timely manner.

What are some of the typical ailments and concerns that patients can come to you with?

As a GP I see any and everything – from newborns to centenarians. Ranging from a simple cough and cold to complex chronic conditions including end of life care. I have seen and can see it all.

However, having stepped away from traditional NHS medicine has allowed me to branch into other areas that I would not have been able to. For example, I help lawyers dealing with wills and probate matters who often require capacity assessment for complex legal matters. I also assist with medical assessment for immigration applications on health grounds.

Some fascinating things I have been asked to do include workplace medicals for individuals working in the mining industry, an assessment for two guys wanting to embark on a “zero G” flight, amongst others.

What do you believe are the key traits that make a good home doctor?

Three A’s:

Affability: You have to be liked and be likeable

Accessibility: You have to be easy to get hold of

Ability: Obvious, but worth reiterating, you need to be good at your job (i.e. clinically astute).

Is there anything else you would like to add?

I also enjoy sharing my knowledge and medical expertise through my tutor role at three London medical schools and also via the media – having written articles for several newspapers and appeared on BBC and Sky News. It has been an honour to receive this award and have my talent, skill, hard work and dedication acknowledged. I hope that I can continue to serve many more generations of patients for years to come.

If a flexible, personalised healthcare model appeals to you, find out more by getting in touch with Dr Hussain at www.drsuhailhussain.com.