Why we started Taylor Grey
A message from our founder
Why did you set up Taylor Grey?
Having lived overseas with three boisterous boys who have had injuries through playing sport, my wife and I were able to see how good private medical services could be.
On returning to the UK, it became very apparent that there was a need for a private medical service that would give families the choice to skip long wait times on the NHS. The NHS does a fantastic job, but it is now horribly oversubscribed.
Our private system is still stuck largely around office hours. Anyone who has children knows that illness and accidents just don’t follow this pattern. You need help when you need it — and that’s often at weekends and inconvenient times.
What are the values of Taylor Grey?
Very simply, we are outcome-focused. We have hired the best and most experienced people — each with a minimum of 10 years’ experience in emergency medicine, general wellness, and specialist paediatric care.
We aim to deliver a concierge-style service and achieve a swift and successful outcome. We are obsessed with medical diagnostic technology to give us real-time data so you can be confident of the right diagnosis.
Can you treat anyone?
We are focused on family medicine, so we aim to look after the whole family — adults and children. Single adults are extremely well catered for too. We also have GPs who have much better data and information than your regular GP. We will never just dish out antibiotics if the diagnosis shows they are not going to help.
Technology has come a long way, and we can now accurately diagnose much more. For instance, we can run a full blood panel in about 10 minutes, which gives a great deal of insight for our doctors and nurses. If you think you have a respiratory issue, we can quickly and accurately tell whether you have influenza (and which type) or RSV. The same applies to urine infections.
For example, when my child recently came home having injured his fingers playing rugby, it took just 15 minutes to ascertain it wasn’t a break — with a quick X-ray and examination. As a parent, what you’re looking for most of all is peace of mind.
Our mantra is “Triage, Treat, and/or Refer”
As a father, I can say that my children are my biggest asset and their outcome matters most to me. As such, there will be times that we can’t help — and the best outcome is to refer you. When we do refer, we will always provide a clear pathway and some comfort.
It may be as simple as dressing a wound or providing a sling, but you will know we have done the very best we can, always putting you or your child’s best interest first.
When might you refer people?
There are situations where referral is necessary. Firstly, we cannot treat life-threatening conditions (see our full list under the “What we treat” section).
With complex wounds — whilst we have doctors and nurses experienced in advanced suturing— it may be that your wound needs the care of a full hospital and a specialist plastic surgeon. In such cases, simply phoning ahead would likely allow us to ascertain whether we can help.
It could be that your child is hypermobile and too upset to be treated without some form of general sedation — this we cannot and will not attempt. In such cases, we would refer you to the NHS or to the Cromwell Hospital privately.
In the case of a fracture, you may need an orthopaedic surgeon, and we would refer you on.
The key message is: we want you to get the swiftest outcome possible, but it must also be the safest outcome.
Many clinics only deal with adults — why can you help children too?
First and foremost, we have gone down this route because, as a parent, I know this service is sorely needed and deserves to exist.
When I decided to create this service, there was nobody better to partner with than my good friend and mentor, Dr Nagi Barakat. Dr Barakat is a renowned paediatrician with 22 years at Great Ormond Street, along with work at the Portland and Cromwell hospitals. When my son was 6 weeks old, he helped save his life — and a lifetime bond was formed.
We have put together a team with a wealth of experience from both the NHS and private sectors. They are very confident dealing with children and we have full CQC approval to do so.
As previously mentioned, there will be times that we cannot help because it is not in the best interest of a successful outcome — but please know that we always have you or your child’s best interest as our primary goal.
Meet the Team
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![Interior room with beige walls and fashionable Vogue magazine covers hanging on the wall, one showing a woman with a wide-brimmed hat. There is a partial view of a person's head, a plant in front, and shelves on the left.]()
Simon Shorland
FOUNDER
Having lived overseas with three boisterous boys who have had injuries through playing sport, my wife and I were able to see how good private medical services could be. On returning to the UK, it became very apparent that there was a need for a private medical service that would give families the choice to skip long wait times on the NHS. -
![Dr Nagi Barakat in a black suit and white shirt standing in the Taylor Grey practice.]()
Dr Nagi Barakat
FOUNDER
A globally renowned consultant paediatrician and leading expert in paediatric neurology. With a distinguished career, including serving as Libya’s Minister of Health and authoring eight books for the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, Dr. Barakat is a pioneer in medical education and child health.
