Private hospital to open in The Shard

HCA International, owners of the London Bridge Hospital, have applied for planning permission to turn the fourth, fifth and sixth floors of the skyscraper into a hospital.

The application seeks change of use to planning class C2 which indicates that the proposed "healthcare facility" would provide in-patient care.

The plans also include a new entrance and lifts on St Thomas Street to give staff and patients access to the hospital.

Although the space now proposed for healthcare use was designed for offices, the plan would fit with architect Renzo Piano's vision of The Shard as a "vertical city" incorporating a wide range of activities.

HCA also operates a number of other well-known private hospitals including the Portland Hospital, the Lister Hospital and the Princess Grace Hospital.