What to expect at your private knee consultation

What is a knee consultation?

If you’re noticing signs you might need knee surgery, booking a knee consultation is a very good idea.

In essence, a knee consultation is a discussion with a specialist about your troublesome knee. It provides an opportunity for your consultant to make a decision on whether you need knee treatment and what that treatment plan may look like.

A knee consultation is also an opportunity for you, the patient, to ask all manner of questions about your knee condition and the proposed treatment.

Among other things, you may wish to ask about how long your private knee surgery will take, what you can expect in terms of recovery timelines, and when you’ll be able to return to work (if you do so).

“Life is motion and motion is life.”

Kenan Dehne, Practice Plus Group orthopaedic consultant

Types of knee conditions we consult on

At Practice Plus Group, we offer consultations for the following knee conditions:

• Knee replacement surgery
• ACL repair
• Knee arthroscopy
• Knee repair – meniscus surgery
• Knee revision surgery
• Bursa removal surgery
• Lateral release
• Osteophytes treatment

Some of the above treatments are only available at certain Practice Plus Group locations.

Private consultation for knee replacement surgery

Do you need a knee arthroscopy or knee replacement surgery? Well, the aim of your consultation is to decide which treatment is best for you. To do this, your consultant will need to run a series of tests. Included in the cost of our consultations are:

• x-rays
• blood tests
• swabs.

Sometimes, an MRI scan is required to diagnose conditions such as ACL or meniscus tears. This is not included in the cost of your consultation.

Private consultation for knee pain

If you’ve had prolonged knee pain, it’s a good idea to get it looked at by a professional. A knee pain consultation costs just £95 and is used to highlight whether surgery is needed by carrying out different tests.

However, please note if you need an MRI scan, this will incur extra cost.

Private consultation for knee injuries

While our consultations can investigate knee injuries using x-rays and MRI scans, it’s important to remember that we don’t offer a service for trauma injuries. So, if you have a suspected broken leg, you need to go to A&E. Our knee consultations are designed to highlight whether there is a need for surgery and to devise treatment plans around this.

How much does a private knee consultation cost?

Aside from wanting to know private knee replacement costs, before you even step through the doors of a hospital, this is likely to be one of the most important questions you’ll want answered. Here, there’s good news and not so good news. In the next section, we’ll start with the good.

Comparing private hospital knee consultation costs in the UK

At Practice Plus Group, our private knee consultations cost £95. This fee is inclusive of diagnostic tests like X-rays and blood tests that represent a thorough assessment.

Now, for the not so good news, the table below shows the prices for consultations at other private healthcare providers.

How to pay for your consultation and knee surgery

At Practice Plus Group, there are two ways to pay for a private consultation:

• as a self-pay patient. This involves making a one-off payment of £95
• via a pre-existing health insurance policy. Your insurance provider will need to give their approval and an authorisation code to proceed.

When it comes to knee treatment, if you choose self-pay surgery, you have three ways to cover the cost:

• a one-off lump sum payment
• via a finance plan
• via private health insurance.

If you pay through private medical insurance, you will need to ensure your provider features on our list of approved insurers.

Waiting times for a knee consultation before surgery

Perhaps the second most important question patients ask about knee consultations is around waiting times.

As with the waiting time for knee replacement surgery, you can generally expect a longer wait for a consultation if you’re having NHS treatment. Waiting times for NHS consultations can be as long as those for the surgery itself and typically run into months. For example, the current waiting time for orthopaedics at Barts Health NHS Trust hospital in London is 12 weeks.¹ Following the consultation, orthopaedic patients can expect a wait of around 18 weeks for their treatment.

If you’re having your private knee consultation at Practice Plus Group, you can typically expect to wait between a couple of days and a week, depending on hospital location.

What to expect at your knee consultation appointment

Now that we’ve answered questions around the cost of a private knee consultation and how long you might wait for it, it’s time to explore what happens in the session itself.

How long does a knee assessment take?

Although the consultation itself shouldn’t take much longer than an hour, we do ask that you put a few hours aside. The consultation and assessment itself takes around 20 mins. Afterwards, if needed, you may need to visit our nurses who will carry out some general observations. This typically includes your:

• height
• weight
• blood pressure
• bloods and ECG (if requested by consultant anaesthetist).

You may also need to visit our radiology department if your consultant requests an X-ray. While we strive to conclude all of the diagnostic tests during your initial consultation, MRI scans are unlikely to be available on the same day. If you need an MRI scan, this will be scheduled at the earliest possible date for your convenience.

What happens at a knee consultation?

Your consultation will take place in a private room at your chosen hospital. First, a nurse or healthcare assistant will ask you for some information about your general health, along with your personal and family medical history.

Diagnostic tests are then performed to give your consultant a clear idea of your condition. He or she will then be able to advise on the best course of action going forward and develop a treatment plan.

Who will you see?

Our knee specialist teams all boast a wealth of experience and knowledge in the field of knee surgery. Along with an expert knee surgeon, your consulting team will likely also consist of:

• healthcare assistants
• nurses
• radiographer (if you need an X-ray).

How to prepare for your consultation

From what to bring with you to choosing the right questions to ask, there are a few things you can do to prepare for your private knee consultation.

How to get a private knee consultation

To book a knee consultation with Practice Plus Group, you can either:

• call us on 0333 060 9390
• complete and submit an online enquiry form.

Once this is done, a member of our booking team will be in touch to book you in at a time that suits you.

What to bring

It’s an interesting question, and below is a list of a helpful list of things to remember to bring:

• any medication you’re currently taking
• comfortable, loose-fitting clothes
• the completed health questionnaire you’ll receive with your booking pack.

Questions to ask your knee consultant

From what to wear on the day of your treatment to recovery timelines, we’ve put together a detailed list of all the questions to ask before your knee surgery.

How to make the most out of your consultation

Perhaps the best advice we can give is to come prepared. Or, at the very least, come prepared to ask questions. The more research you can do, the better and it’s a great idea to note down all the questions you want to ask your knee consultant about the upcoming procedure. We appreciate there might be quite a lot of information for you to take onboard, so it’s a good idea to bring a friend or family member along to help you out.

A word from Mariusz, Practice Plus Group knee specialist

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What happens next?

Another excellent question, with the answer varying based on the type of patient you are. NHS patients should expect a longer wait between consultation and surgery. The NHS guidelines state the aim is to provide treatment for patients 18 weeks after their consultation. This may not be the case depending on location in the country and the length of the waiting list in your region.

One way to get your knee surgery sooner is to seek healthcare through Practice Plus Group. With us, you’ll be able to have knee surgery just 4-6 weeks after your consultation. Most knee surgeries at Practice Plus Group are day-case, however, if you need to stay in hospital with us overnight, this is included in the price of your treatment.

How long after a private consultation is knee surgery?

This depends on the healthcare provider. At Practice Plus Group, you’ll be able to have knee surgery just 4-6 weeks after your consultation.

Book a knee consultation near you

We have a wide network of first-class surgeons and consultants working across the country to improve the quality of life for all our patients. Use the location and treatment filters to find a consultant near you, or take a look through the menu below.

Sources and references

¹ https://www.myplannedcare.nhs.uk/london/barts-health/specialty/?sname=Orthopaedics

https://www.myplannedcare.nhs.uk/

Acknowledgements