Hear from our patients

In April 2021, Richard Linley's life was transformed after he had total hip replacement surgery at The Highfield Hospital in Rochdale, Greater Manchester.

Before surgery, Richard lived with devastating chronic pain that affected his ability to stay active and stopped him getting on with everyday tasks. This was Richard's life for more than a decade. He managed his pain through medication and physiotherapy, but while these options did help manage his pain, Richard remained in constant discomfort.

In particular, Richard found he struggled to sleep, and socialising became more and more challenging. His mental health took a toll and he felt isolated and unhappy.

Richard's consultant orthopaedic surgeon, Mr Rama Mohan, confirmed that total hip replacement surgery would be the best treatment for him. Richard was delighted by the support and reassurance provided by Mr Mohan.

"He told me what the operation would involve, the recovery period, and the aid that I would need while recuperating," explains Richard. "He put my mind at rest and was totally confident about what the outcome would be. I was absolutely delighted by his care."

Following hip replacement surgery, Richard now leads an active and fulfilled life with no pain. He cycles regularly and runs a successful local business. He urges anyone struggling with hip pain to seek treatment and to go for a hip replacement if needed. It might just change your life.

"Don't let your hip get to the point where it is affecting your life so badly that you have no life . Have the operation. The recovery period is short, and you get better so quickly."

Sandra Taylor saw consultant Mr Andy Hacker for crippling hand pain caused by osteoarthritis at The Saxon Clinic in Milton Keynes. Before surgery, Sandra's quality of life was significantly impacted by her osteoarthritis.

"It affected everything I did. Even normal things like pairing socks, using tweezers or doing my buttons up was unbearable and uncomfortable. Even clapping hurt. At Christmas I had to buy a stamp to sign my cards because the pain was so much, I couldn't write them. It made me feel miserable..."

Sandra had to leave her job as a scientific researcher because of the pain in her hands. She says: "There was no way I could go back to working as a research scientist at the laboratory. I did some volunteering for a brief period but I had to give that up as it became too uncomfortable to work."

In 2020, Sandra underwent CMC thumb joint replacement surgery in her left-hand and just months later she underwent surgery in her right-hand. Post-surgery, Sandra was seen by a hand therapist at The Saxon Clinic. She was provided with hand exercises to strengthen her hand muscles, and a hand brace to wear for the first four to six weeks during her recovery.

Her life has transformed since the surgery. She says: "Both my scars are very neat and not bumpy. I can do everything that I would normally do. I can even use scissors for my sewing which was something I couldn't use before." Since her surgery, Sandra has noticed she no longer wakes up from her sleep because of the pain in her hands. She reveals: "I no longer have any pain in my thumbs or need splints to do my gardening. I am also now able to do my yoga classes and I couldn't be happier with the result."

Paul Jenkins underwent robotic prostatectomy for prostate cancer at The Park Hospital in Nottingham. His surgeon, Mr Ben Sherwood, used the da Vinci X surgical system to perform the procedure. Paul describes his experience with Circle Health Group as excellent. He was impressed by the quality of care he received from Mr Sherwood and his team of nurses, as well as his room and the facilities, particularly the food menu.

"The room was comfortable and spacious. The food menu was brilliant! I had no idea there would be so many options, it was like being in a hotel with a three-course food menu at my fingertips. I'm upset I didn't have the stomach to order everything after surgery...!"

Paul felt that Ben showed great compassion and kindness, even while performing complex surgery. He made a point to call Paul's mother-in-law and his wife to assure them that, although the procedure was taking longer than usual, it was nothing to worry about, and that Paul was okay. "He was just amazing, keeping them in the loop like that. They really appreciated it." says Paul.

It wasn't just Mr Sherwood who helped make Paul's experience at The Park Hospital that little bit less daunting. Paul had a team of nurses that supported him throughout the five days he spent in hospital recovering after surgery. He says: "They were so kind and helpful. It felt odd discussing such intimate things about myself with the team at first, but they made me feel so comfortable and open."

The surgery eliminated Paul's cancer. He is now back at work full-time and fills his weekends with trips to the local golf course and family outings.

David Kershaw is a 66-year-old professional karate instructor from Grimsby in Lincolnshire. He recently underwent rotating platform knee replacement surgery with consultant Mr Michael Edwards at Thornbury Hospital. The highly tailored surgery has eliminated David's knee pain and allowed him to continue his successful career as a professional karate instructor. David was extremely impressed by Mr Edward's quality of care and sense of understanding.

"He was so supportive throughout the entire process. He's clearly a highly skilled surgeon, because he understood exactly what I wanted from surgery and how he would need to get there. He's very easy to talk to, and put me at ease from day one, even when we were emailing back and forth while I was researching the surgery."

It wasn't just Mr Edwards who made David feel at ease. He had a team of skilled and caring healthcare professionals around him while in hospital, who made sure he was comfortable and supported during surgery and after when he was resting in his private room.

"I was supported by everyone. My lovely nurses were on hand after surgery to help me feel comfortable. When I was in pain, they helped me get into more comfortable positions, and they tried lots of different options to manage my pain levels - which were high when my knees started to regain feeling after surgery"

After surgery, David had regular follow-up appointments with his physiotherapy team and Mr Edwards to ensure he was recovering as quickly and safely as possible. He was back teaching and keeping active within six weeks. David is still teaching karate and successfully running his business full-time. His fitness levels are improving every day, and he can't stress enough just how much the surgery has saved his career. He would recommend rotating knee replacement surgery to anyone with similar needs to his.

Electrician Stewart Barclay was visiting London from Glasgow with his wife when his symptoms started. He felt pain and discomfort in his left arm and felt "really shattered" by the end of the day. He put this down to exhaustion after a day of sightseeing. He'd recently fallen onto his arm, too, so at first he brushed his worries aside.

"My arm was really sore. I had to sit up most of the night because the pain was so bad," he says. "But I never really though of any heart problems, because it wasn't in my chest."

However, in the morning his wife insisted that he call an ambulance, and when the paramedics arrived an ECG showed that he had been having a heart attack.

After a week in hospital in London, Stewart was told he would need a triple bypass. "I've always had private healthcare and I've used it a few times, so I thought I'd look into the options," he explains. He chose to have surgery at Ross Hall Hospital in his hometown of Glasgow.

"I expected to wait a couple of months for treatment. What actually happened was, from the initial phone call with the surgeon, to being in surgery, was only just over a week."

Stewart was delighted with the service at Ross Hall, where he stayed in one of our private ensuite rooms. "The aftercare was amazing, there was constantly something happening, they were monitoring me all the time. Everything was so good."

"If anyone is considering cardiac surgery, I definitely recommend going private with Circle Health Group."

Stewart's recovery is well underway and he's feeling almost back to normal after his surgery. "I still can't believe I've had a heart attack, but I've got the scars to prove it!"