Fast Track Self Pay Hernia Surgery
At the Royal South Hants Hospital, Southampton
The difficulties in securing access to timely NHS treatment for a range of general surgical conditions, including abdominal wall and groin hernias, and other “lumps and bumps”, are now widely recognised. NHS funding is no longer sufficient to match public demand.
For some time, surgeons have been obliged to apply on a case by case funding for elective non-cancer operations, where the final decision on your free NHS care is made by anonymous non-specialist office staff.
Indeed, GPs and hospitals are being actively discouraged from referring or dealing with non-life threatening surgical conditions. This form of waiting list management has now been publicly acknowledged.
While this strategy may help the public finances, it does not make a hernia or an unpleasant lump or bump go away, or prevent it from getting worse during the wait for treatment.
The Practice Plus Group (PPG) Hospital has been long established as a contracted NHS service provider at the historic Royal South Hants Hospital in central Southampton. PPG has developed a Self Pay option for non-insured, patients which secures your personal control over fast track access to affordable high quality surgical care.
This is delivered by senior and experienced consultant surgeons and anaesthetists, who are supported by an experienced theatre team.
The service is provided at much lower cost when compared with the major private hospital groups, and you do not need health care insurance.
The care package involves a pre-treatment consultation and anaesthetic evaluation at the hospital, followed by an operation at the RSH without “hotel” functions or services which inflate the cost of private hospital care.
Most operations are undertaken as day cases, but overnight care is available by arrangement. Your contract is made with PPG, to whom the fee is paid. PPG remunerates its consultants and staff on a sessional or salaried basis.
Access Times
It is possible to secure an outpatient appointment at short notice, and the PPG operational theatre capacity is flexible. Operations can be undertaken soon after medical checks are complete, and currently within a few weeks or to suit your convenience.
Medical Conditions
The RSH has an excellent and fully staffed anaesthetic recovery ward, but it does not have a High Dependency or Critical Care Unit, for which the hospital partners with Southampton General Hospital for unforeseen emergencies. Our anaesthetists therefore undertake a full risk assessment before accepting patients for surgery.
If your body mass index is > 40, or if you have significant heart or lung conditions, you will not be deemed suitable for surgery at the RSH. Anaesthetic options include general, spinal, regional and local anaesthesia, according to a range of factors.
Access Arrangements
The PPG Self Pay Service at the RSH Surgical Unit is open to anyone who can attend for surgery in Southampton. Indeed, we already treat patients from across the South of England, including Dorset, Wiltshire, Sussex and the Isle of Wight.
If you wish to explore this option further, more details are available on the PPG website at https://practiceplusgroup.com/hospitals/southampton/, or by calling 0333 321 1961. The operators should refer your enquiry on to my clinic own booking team via our local patient coordinator.
Please be prepared to provide your medical history in as much detail as possible for your clinic appointment. PPG will keep your GP informed, so that they have a complete record of your care.