What happens here
- MR-Linac SABR treatment, delivered by Dr Harinarayanan on Thursdays
- The planning session on the MR-Linac before treatment starts
- Reviews during the course, on treatment days
Practical details
- Clinic days: Thursdays
- Parking: Limited parking in this part of London; most patients come by train, Underground or taxi
- Getting there: Cromwell Road in Kensington, between Earl's Court and Gloucester Road Underground stations; from Waterloo by Underground or taxi
What happens here
This site is for one treatment: MR-Linac SABR. An MR-Linac is a radiotherapy machine with an MRI scanner built around it, so the team can see the tumour and the organs beside it while you are on the couch, adapt the plan to that day, and pause the beam if the target moves. SABR is a short course of very precise, high-dose radiotherapy. Together they are used for cancer that has spread to a small number of places, and for selected other tumours.
The machine belongs to GenesisCare, who run the treatment centre within Cromwell Hospital. Dr Harinarayanan holds MR-Linac SABR accreditation from GenesisCare UK and treats his patients here on Thursdays. He plans the treatment, is present for it and reviews you on treatment days. GenesisCare’s radiographers and physicists run the machine and bill for the treatment.
Before you come: consultations closer to home
You will not normally meet Dr Harinarayanan for the first time in London. Consultations, the decision about whether MR-Linac SABR is right for you, and follow-up all happen at Spire Southampton Hospital. By the time you travel to London, the plan is agreed and you know what to expect.
The first London visit is usually the planning session: you lie on the treatment couch while the machine takes MRI pictures, and those pictures are used to build your plan. Treatment sessions follow as a short course, each on a Thursday. Each takes longer than a standard radiotherapy visit because the machine scans you again and the team adapts the plan before the dose is given. You go home the same day.
Finding the hospital
The address is 164-178 Cromwell Road, London, SW5 0TU. Cromwell Road is a main road through Kensington, and the hospital sits between Earl’s Court and Gloucester Road Underground stations. The GenesisCare centre is within the hospital; the hospital reception will direct you on your first visit. The map link on this page opens the hospital in Google Maps.
Getting here
From the South Coast, the usual route is the train to London Waterloo, then the Underground or a taxi to the hospital. Earl’s Court and Gloucester Road stations are both a short walk away. Driving into central London is slow, and parking in this part of Kensington is limited, so most patients travel by train.
If you are tired or unwell from treatment, bring someone with you and take a taxi for the last part of the journey rather than the Underground. The treatment centre can tell you what to expect after each session so you can plan the journey home.
What to bring
For the planning session and each treatment, bring your appointment letter, a list of the medicines you take and, if you are insured, your pre-authorisation number. GenesisCare will tell you separately whether to eat or drink beforehand, and whether to follow any preparation such as a full or empty bladder or a particular breathing pattern. Wear comfortable clothes without metal, because you will be inside an MRI scanner. Tell the team about any implant or metal in your body before your first visit.
Treatments at this site
Common questions
Do I have my consultation in London?
Usually not. Dr Harinarayanan sees patients for consultations, planning discussions and follow-up at Spire Southampton Hospital. London is for the MR-Linac itself: the planning session on the machine and the treatment sessions. That keeps the travel to a minimum. If you live in or near London and would prefer to be seen there, ask; it may be possible to arrange.
How many trips to London will I need?
A planning session on the MR-Linac, then a short course of treatment sessions, each on a Thursday. The exact number depends on where the tumour is and what sits around it, and it is agreed with you at planning. Each session is longer than a standard radiotherapy visit, because the machine scans you and the team adapts the plan before the dose is given. You go home the same day.
How do I get to Cromwell Hospital?
The hospital is on Cromwell Road in Kensington, between Earl's Court and Gloucester Road Underground stations. From the South Coast, the train to London Waterloo and then the Underground or a taxi is the usual route. Driving into central London is slow and parking is limited, so most patients travel by train. If you are tired or unwell from treatment, bring someone with you and take a taxi for the last part.
Who do I contact on a treatment day?
GenesisCare at Cromwell Hospital runs the MR-Linac and will give you the treatment centre's own contact details and instructions before your first visit, including when to arrive and whether to eat or drink beforehand. For anything about your care overall, contact Dr Harinarayanan's practice through the details on the contact page. If you feel unwell between sessions, use the number GenesisCare give you.