Jo Bowett, 60, from Bromsgrove, has long struggled with knee pain. After tearing a ligament in her knee on a ski trip a decade ago, her knee problems gradually intensified and began to interfere with her active lifestyle of sports hobbies and a demanding job where she is often on her feet.
Last summer, after banging her knee badly, Jo’s knee pain became unbearable – affecting every aspect of her routine. Desperate for relief, she visited her GP, who referred her to a consultant at her local NHS hospital in Redditch.
“The whole team were so reassuring. My consultant confirmed I needed reconstructive surgery and booked me in as one of the hospital’s first patients. I was impressed by how quickly everything moved.”
Jo Bowett, knee surgery patient at Practice Plus Group Hospital, Birmingham
Jo explains: “I had been putting off the pain for a while, but it was getting impossible to manage. I was taking painkillers daily and had tried physiotherapy, but I still couldn’t walk comfortably – let alone play sports.”
It wasn’t until she banged her knee last summer, causing her knee to swell dramatically, that Jo sought further help. After undergoing an X-ray, consultation surgery was recommended. However, the long NHS waiting list at her local hospital in Redditch where she was currently being seen, left Jo uncertain about when she would receive treatment. She was told it could be up to an 18-month wait.
“I was frustrated to hear it could take months to be treated at the NHS hospital in Redditch, so I started looking into other options,” she said. “A friend mentioned a new Practice Plus Group hospital in Birmingham was due to open. It was just 25 miles away and had no waiting list. Although it was a private hospital, it also saw NHS patients.”
Although the new hospital wasn’t yet open, it was already taking enquiries as it would soon be accepting referrals. Jo called the team at Practice Plus Group and discovered she could transfer her surgery referral from Redditch through NHS ‘patient choice’. Since the new hospital had no NHS waiting list, she could get her treatment much faster.
Following the call, Jo contacted her GP and asked for her a referral to be switched. Jo says: “The process was incredibly efficient, and within a short time, I met with my consultant, received an MRI scan, and was able to discuss the next steps for surgery. The whole team were so reassuring. My consultant confirmed I needed reconstructive surgery and booked me in as one of the hospital’s first patients. I was impressed by how quickly everything moved.”
“The hospital experience felt like being in a 5-star hotel. The team was incredible, and my partner was able to support me through the process.”
Jo Bowett, knee surgery patient at Practice Plus Group Hospital, Birmingham
Within just three months of her initial referral, Jo underwent a knee reconstruction at Practice Plus Group Hospital, Birmingham and is thrilled with the results. “The hospital experience felt like being in a 5-star hotel. The team was incredible, and my partner was able to support me through the process,” Jo shared.
Jo is now focused on recovery. “I’ve set recovery goals with the Practice Plus Group physiotherapy team, and I can’t wait to get back to golf, skiing, and walking in the Malvern Hills,” she said. Though she’s taking things day by day, Jo is thrilled to have regained her mobility and is thankful for the seamless referral to the new Birmingham hospital.
“I didn’t know I could switch NHS hospitals after already being on a waiting list, but I’m so grateful I did. It’s been a brilliant experience. I feel confident that I can finally leave my knee problems behind me,” Jo concluded.
