Surgery goals – Aston Villa ‘super-fan’ schedules op around fixtures – A patient story

Not only does Peter commute a 300-mile round trip from Portsmouth to each Aston Villa home game at Villa Park, Birmingham – and often more for away fixtures – but he’s also a season ticket holder in his hometown of Portsmouth, where he’s able to catch mid-week Portsmouth FC matches, or see weekend games if they don’t clash with his beloved Villa.

Research from an independent healthcare provider has found having an end goal in sight when booking in for surgery can help improve recovery times. Practice Plus Group has found that assessing patient recovery goals before they even book in for surgery means that patients are more motivated to recover quicker. For Peter, the motivation to be able to drive to matches again was the push he needed to get his hernia pain sorted and focus his recovery goals.

Peter, a retired Head Teacher, opted to self-pay for his surgery with Wellsoon from Practice Plus Group, so as not to miss a live game, says: “I was really looking forward to the new season starting and supporting my two favourite teams every week. However, severe hernia pain meant I was becoming unable to drive for long periods and I was worried I’d miss out on live matches. To avoid this, I decided to have a private hernia operation so that I could schedule my op between fixtures! I actually didn’t miss a single Villa match due to the deliberate timing of the operation. Thanks to the team at Practice Plus Group Hospital Portsmouth, I was in and out in a day and fully recovered in less than a week – which meant that I could get back to using my season tickets much sooner!”

8 in 10 patients at Practice Plus Group who chose to self-pay for surgery via its Wellsoon service, revealed that lifestyle improvements – such as greater independence, caring for a loved one, or planning a special event or holiday – were their key motivations for paying to have surgery sooner.

Almost half (45%) said opting to self-pay for surgery rather than wait up to two years on the NHS was due to wanting to ‘enjoy life more’, and 16% said that having an operation would help them to cope better at work by eliminating their pain.

Returning to playing sports was important too, with 6% stating they wanted to enjoy hobbies like golf, running and swimming pain-free. A further 5% were motivated to have surgery due to an upcoming holiday or wedding.

Kathy Lloyd, Hospital Director, Practice Plus Group Hospital Portsmouth, says: “Working with our patients to determine their goals and motivation for surgery is essential to a full and timely recovery. We help people to fully embrace their journey to wellness and give them whatever support they need to get back to whatever it is they want to enjoy most. We are delighted that Peter can now follow his teams around the country pain-free. It’s stories like this that make us determined to make our patients feel individually supported every step of the way!”

Disclaimer

We are very grateful to Practice Plus Group – one of the hospital groups we collect data from – for sharing Peter'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.

It is important that you research all your options and make an informed decision that is right for you. We are sharing Peter’s story to give you a better idea of what your experience might be like, and so that you can ask relevant questions when discussing your healthcare options.