Celebrity GP and Health Advisor Dr Hilary Jones MBE, best known for his ITV appearances officially opened Practice Plus Group’s brand-new hospital in Birmingham today!
Local residents will be pleased to hear that the newly refurbished Practice Plus Group Hospital, Birmingham, currently has no waiting list for either NHS or private patients.
As of November, NHS patients will be able to ask their GP for a referral to the hospital and expect to be seen in days and weeks rather than months and years. The hospital doesn’t expect to have a waiting list within its first few months of opening.
Those opting to pay for themselves or use private health insurance can book consultations now through Wellsoon private healthcare from Practice Plus Group.
The hospital, previously known locally as The Edgbaston Hospital, has undergone a £10 million transformation with a brand new reception, pharmacy, wards, X-ray suite and state-of-the-art theatres.
Practice Plus Group’s hospitals and surgical centres around the country help the NHS by welcoming patients in need of some of the most in demand procedures with the longest waiting lists, such as orthopaedic surgery, endoscopy and cataract removal. Practice Plus Group Hospital, Birmingham, expects to complete up to 8,000 procedures a year when it’s at full capacity.
This will be welcome news to people in the region. According to NHS England data, over 500,000 people are waiting for hospital appointments in the West Midlands, with 20,000 people waiting for more than 52 weeks. Nine out of 10 people in the West Midlands can expect to wait between 33 and 40 weeks for NHS operations such as hip and knee replacements, and according to Practice Plus Group research, one in 10 people in the region are resigned to having to wait a year.
“Many people are unaware they can go to a private hospital as an NHS patient, free of charge, and often sooner than waiting for NHS hospitals. Under the NHS constitution you have a legal right to choose which hospital to have your NHS treatment in, and this often includes private hospitals.”
Dr Hilary Jones MBE and celebrity GP
Dr Hilary Jones MBE said: “I know from my own hip replacement surgery that these ‘routine’ and ‘non-urgent’ operations are truly life-changing. Living with pain and not being able to do the things you love is exhausting and debilitating. Fast access to surgery, if this is what you need, will help you re-gain your mobility, your fitness and quality of life. It’s no surprise therefore that going private has become more and more common since the pandemic and is no longer considered just for the rich.
“But many people are unaware they can also go to a private hospital as an NHS patient, free of charge, and often sooner than waiting for NHS hospitals. Under the NHS constitution you have a legal right to choose which hospital to have your NHS treatment in, and this often includes private hospitals. If your GP, physio or other healthcare professional says they’re going to refer you to a consultant at a hospital, ask for a list of options so you can compare waiting lists and locations. You also have a right to switch from one hospital waiting list to another if you’ve been waiting for more than 18 weeks for surgery and can travel out of your area. My advice is always to discuss your options with your GP to help you get back to your best as soon as possible.”
