Humphrey Gervais, 79, moved from London to Somerset for a slower pace of life with his wife Kathy. But when worsening carpal tunnel symptoms in his right hand began disrupting his sleep and daily activities, and he received little support from his GP, Humphrey knew he had to take matters into his own hands – literally! Humphrey, speaks about his life-changing private surgery with Wellsoon private healthcare from Practice Plus Group Hospital, Shepton Mallet.
“If you’re thinking about having surgery there (at Practice Plus Group Hospital, Shepton Mallet) – do it. You won’t regret it.”
Humphrey Gervais, carpal tunnel release surgery patient at Practice Plus Group Hospital, Shepton Mallet
“We moved to Somerset about two years ago. We had lived in London for a long time and wanted a change. Until now I’ve never had to really use the local hospitals since we moved. When I had a tingly feeling in my right hand for about a year, I started to consider what to do about it and what health services were available to me in the area.
“My hand had got really bad. It became a numbness, and it would happen when I was driving. I’d have to shake my hand and the feeling would come back.
“I went to the GP to see about my symptoms because it was getting worse. Disappointingly, the nurse more or less said, “there’s nothing we can do about that”. I felt I received little support.
“What really pushed me to do something and consider private healthcare options was when it started waking me up at night. I’d be asleep and wake up with a numb hand. The tingling became really irritating, and it didn’t seem to be going away. I couldn’t grip things properly, writing was awkward, and it affected my ability to use tools. Even typing was getting difficult. The numbness was getting worse and it certainly wasn’t going to go away on its own.
“My wife Kathy had not long since had cataract surgery locally on the NHS at Practice Plus Group Hospital in Shepton Mallet. So, we’d heard about it. At that time, we’d asked on the local Nextdoor app for recommendations for local hospitals for cataract surgery and we got lots of responses saying Practice Plus Group Hospital, Shepton Mallet was brilliant. One guy said that in the bigger hospitals, you might not get the main consultant, but in the smaller ones like Shepton Mallet, they may only have one consultant that specialises in certain surgeries so you get the best. That made sense to me.
“What impressed me straightaway when I enquired about my own surgery at the hospital was that the initial consultation with its Wellsoon private healthcare service was only £95. I thought, “I’ll just go and have a look. See what they say. In London, I’ve paid twice that just to sit in front of someone, and that’s without any tests. The £95 included everything – consultation, examination, explanation, and even an X-ray if you needed it. That’s really impressive.
“The whole experience was really professional. Everyone there was calm, friendly, and extremely efficient. You felt like you were in good hands. I’ve been in a lot of hospitals over the years, both NHS and private, and I have to say this one was right up there.”
Humphrey Gervais, carpal tunnel release surgery patient at Practice Plus Group Hospital, Shepton Mallet
“I saw Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, Alison Edwards, who specialises in hand and wrist surgery. She looked at the X-ray, explained what was going on, and told me there are two ways to deal with it – an injection, which would provide temporary pain relief, or a small op, which is what she recommended. She said if I didn’t have it done, I could eventually lose all feeling in those fingers. That was enough for me to book it in.
“Just two days later they rang up and said, “We’ve had a cancellation – can you come in Monday?” I was amazed at how quick it all was.
“The whole experience was really professional. Everyone there was calm, friendly, and extremely efficient. You felt like you were in good hands. I’ve been in a lot of hospitals over the years, both NHS and private, and I have to say this one was right up there.
“The operation was fine. No problems. I had a big bandage on for a few days and then a smaller one. Ten days later, I had the stitches out at my GP surgery.”
I have a business distributing aloe vera products, so have used some of my Forever Living aloe vera gel and the scar is already looking much better – it’s very faded already!
“I didn’t realise how much I couldn’t do before the surgery until after it was done. Now, I’ve got full movement back. I’m back at the gym – I lift weights, use all the machines. No problem at all.
“I do have private medical insurance, but I haven’t even checked what it covers yet. The point is, even if it’s not covered, I’d have paid anyway. It’s not about the money – it’s about getting it sorted. I’m happy I chose Wellsoon private healthcare from Practice Plus Group and I’d do it again.
“The value for money was amazing. Compared to London prices or even other private hospitals, this was absolutely reasonable. And the level of care? Exceptional.
“We’re very lucky to have a place like Practice Plus Group Hospital, Shepton Mallet so close. I really didn’t expect to find this level of care here in Somerset. It was first class all the way through.
“If you’re thinking about having surgery there – do it. You won’t regret it.”
