“I had stopped doing what I love doing,” says John, hernia repair patient. John, 70, is a semi-retired, active man who would think nothing of walking five miles into town and back and work in a café every day. However, after some games of badminton last year, he developed groin pain that got progressively worse.
John said: “I went to see my GP and he confirmed that I had a hernia. The pain was like a knife being stuck in and twisted and it was just getting worse.
“I went to see a consultant at my local NHS hospital, who confirmed I had a hernia but said I would need an MRI scan. I had already waited weeks and weeks to see him and the scan would be another 8-10 weeks.
“I waited. I was then told the results would take another six weeks to report on and the operation would still be months away. My wife then decided she would start to look in to paying for this privately.”
John had to stop working, could no longer walk in to town every day and had put weight on. He had also stopped playing the ukulele and guitar which he loved, due to the pain.
He said: “My wife called Practice Plus Group who told her about the hospital in Barlborough and even though this is an hour’s drive from us we knew it was right choice. The call was so helpful and straight forward.
“Within a few weeks I was in and having the operation.”
John commented that the staff in reception had been warm and welcoming, the nurses had been reassuring and he felt really looked after.
“I was on painkillers for two to three days after the operation and it hurt a little to get out of bed for a week but this quickly passed. I am back walking four miles a day already and also enjoying the ukulele again.
“It has been worth every penny.”
Contacting the hospital
You can phone the Practice Plus Group hospital in Barlborough on: 03308 185410.
Find out more about the hospital on its PHIN profile.
Disclaimer
We are very grateful to Practice Plus Group – one of the hospital groups we collect data from – for sharing John’s story with us so that we can share it with you. However, please note that PHIN only provides information, we do not recommend individual providers, so you should make sure you consider all your options before deciding on your provider.
Some patients will base their choice on the price (if they are self-pay) of the procedure, others will follow the recommendations of their private medical insurer. Other patients will focus on the consultant’s experience or something about the hospital, such as its regulator rating or location and facilities.
