Having previously had his right knee replaced as an NHS patient at a private hospital, when Paul Bishops’ 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 on and enjoy life”
Paul, knee replacement patient at Practice Plus Group Hospital, Barlborough
He says: “I’m Membership Director of my golf club and at the time I was also Captain of the Seniors. I had to keep playing as I’d made a commitment, but it was becoming difficult. My wife and I count our steps every day and while we had been averaging more than 10,000 steps a day, when my knee was bad I didn’t want to walk anymore.”
Paul had had cortisone injections over the years, and had found they would only temporarily help. He knew that having one would mean he wouldn’t be able to get on a surgery list for at least another six months.
“The surgeon offered me a different type of injection, one with hyaluronic acid instead. I asked him if it would delay getting on a list for surgery by another six months and he assured me it wouldn’t, so I had the injection. It didn’t help and when I saw him again he actually went back on his word and said because I’d had it, it would in fact delay me by six months. I may be wrong but I felt he was putting me off, pushing me back. I was frustrated and could see no light at the end of the tunnel.”
The day after his last appointment with the surgeon, Paul played golf as he was captaining the seniors in a seniors event.
“The weather was bad and golf buggies were banned, so I struggled around the course in pain. That’s when a friend noticed how I was walking and recommended Practice Plus Group.”
“I haven’t felt so good for years. My mobility has totally returned and when I’m not playing golf, I’m on the exercise bike or walking like I used to.”
Paul, knee replacement patient at Practice Plus Group Hospital, Barlborough
Paul’s friend told him about Practice Plus Group’s high quality, more affordable private surgery option, Wellsoon, and Paul did some research. He found Practice Plus Group Hospital, Barlborough, his nearest hospital, was around £7,000 less than other hospitals.
“I was very lucky that I could pay, but I didn’t want to pay more than I needed to so I shopped around. We want what we have to last us hopefully another 20 years of life with good health and doing the things we love, so a saving of around £7,000 was important.”
“I’m not the only one either – I realised later that another guy from the golf club was at Practice Plus Group Hospital, Barlborough the day before me.
“The hospital was lovely. Everything was totally on point. The operation itself is fundamental but I also knew from last time that the physio and the effort required after a knee replacement is just as important. I did my exercises diligently every day, even when it was uncomfortable, and I made a good recovery because of it. I live two and a half hours from Barlborough hospital so I couldn’t keep going back for physio, but a neighbour is a physio so I saw him weekly and I used his rehab app which really helped. I was back on the golf course 17 weeks later.
“Today, I haven’t felt so good for years. My mobility has totally returned and when I’m not playing golf I’m on the exercise bike or getting my steps up walking like I used to.
“My wife and I have enjoyed holidays like the old days. I totally recommend Practice Plus Group to anyone like me who just wants to get on and enjoy life.”
