When Michael Welcome decided he couldn’t wait any longer on the NHS for a knee replacement, he opted to have the operation privately at The Horder Centre.
Michael, who will be 80 next year and lives in West Sussex, said he was on the NHS waiting list and when his knee condition worsened, was told he was moved to a shorter list.
But when he rang in November, he found out that February 2018 was the earliest operation date he could expect.
Michael said: “My left knee was so painful that I thought I couldn’t cope any longer and decided to have it done privately.
I know people who had operations at The Horder Centre and they were very pleased with how they had gone, and they suggested I go there."
“I couldn’t fault The Horder Centre. The care was excellent. When I had an operation in an NHS hospital 15 years ago, I was in a ward with around eight other people and didn’t sleep but I had my own room at The Horder. I was made to feel at home and everyone made me feel at ease.
Just four weeks after the operation, Michael said: “I am walking without using any sticks and I feel like a new man!”
As a private patient at The Horder Centre you can get faster access to the very best orthopaedic consultants.