Gerald Goddard, 82, is over the moon with the treatment he’s received from Practice Plus Group’s brand-new hospital in Birmingham. Having had his right hip replaced at the hospital, he’s planning to go back later this year to have his left hip fixed too and says the surgery has been life changing. From not being…

Amy*, 41, a busy mum of three teenagers from Belfast, grew more and more despondent about her weight and had tried every diet going over the years. At over 21 stone (133 kg) and 5 foot 4 inches tall, Amy’s BMI showed she was clinically obese. She grew fearful that her excess weight could cause…

Window fitter, Chris Chapman, 47, from Yeovil, felt he’d been passed from pillar-to-post for eight years trying to get treatment for his “horrendous” varicose veins. It had got to the point where his leg was throbbing and bleeding during the day from constant scratching, and he was increasingly worried about the severity of his bulging…

Julie,* 54, from Lincolnshire, was becoming increasingly down about her weight which had crept up to 270lbs (19 stone 2 lbs) meaning she was no longer able to do the things she loved like travel, shopping for clothes and spending time with her husband and three children without worrying about her increasing dress size. A…

Thinking he’d pulled a muscle in his groin, Anthony Mackintosh, 64, went to see his GP as he was in significant pain. After undergoing tests some weeks later, he learned that although he had arthritis in his hip, he didn’t meet the criteria for an NHS operation as it was not considered ‘bad enough’. That’s…

School Crossing Patroller, Derek Toms, 78, says until recent hernia surgery at a local surgical centre in Portsmouth, he was struggling to help locals cross the busy Milton Road as he was “creasing up in pain” on his shifts. Thankfully, after accessing a shorter surgery waiting time at the surgical centre opposite where he works,…

After noticing some lumps and bumps on her arm, leg and abdomen, Nathalie, 41, from Seer Green, Bucks, grew very concerned and contacted her GP immediately. Anxious that the lumps could be a symptom of cancer, she wanted a diagnosis as soon as possible. When her GP told her it would be around a six-month…

Having previously had his right knee replaced as an NHS patient at a private hospital, when Paul Bishop’s left knee started curtailing his golf and walking, he started to go down the same route to get his left knee replaced. “I totally recommend Practice Plus Group to anyone like me who just wants to get…

Artist, Ann Force, from Falmouth, Cornwall, was so thrilled with life-changing hand surgery at a local Plymouth hospital, that she has gifted medical staff with personalised cartoon illustrations to say thank you. “Everyone from the car park attendant all the way up to the surgeons create such a wonderful atmosphere at the hospital. I’d definitely…

Until recently, Linda Hand, 58, couldn’t imagine putting up her Christmas decorations as joint pain in her hip and knees had become unbearable. Last Christmas had been plagued with joint pain and a wasted ski trip as hitting the slopes was out of the question. To avoid another blighted Christmas, Linda made the decision to…