Woman travelled to Lithuania for op after 2 12 months NHS wait | UK | News | EUROtoday

A girl travelled to Lithuania for a hip alternative after ready greater than two years on the NHS – and being quoted £20k to go personal.

Karen Rogers, 65, has degenerative arthritis and was struggling with extreme hip ache.

In July 2022, Karen was instructed she would want a alternative on her proper hip as that was inflicting extra ache – and she or he’d want a brand new left one sooner or later.

A 12 months later, Karen’s hip deteriorated so dangerous she stopped working and moved in along with her companion Ian Weston, 62, for 24-hour care.

Eventually, at first of 2024, Karen received a letter from the hospital confirming her hip alternative for February however after stepping into for pre-surgery assessments she was instructed it had been cancelled however given no cause why, she claims.

Karen then began wanting into going personal however was quoted £20k for an operation with no follow-up remedies.

She then got here throughout Nordorthopaedics Clinic, Lithuania, who quoted her £8.5k for the operation in addition to flights, surgical procedure and 9 days in rehabilitation.

Karen then flew out to Lithuania in February 2024 to have her proper hip changed and mentioned she is going to do it once more for her left hip.

Karen, a marriage celebrant, from Oxford, mentioned: “Don’t get me wrong the NHS is a wonderful organisation.

“It isn’t the fault of the NHS that’s it within the state of affairs that it’s now.

“In comparison, when you look at the way the clinic in Lithuania is run they wait no more than six to 12 weeks for surgery.

“As it stands I do know I’ll want my left hip changed and I can not even get an appointment with a marketing consultant.

“When you’re in chronic pain, I won’t hesitate to go back onto the plane and get my treatment abroad.”

In July 2022, Karen was instructed she would want her hips changing after going to her GP when the ache grew to become insufferable.

After a 12 months ready for the operation, Karen went again to her GP who agreed that she will’t maintain residing in fixed ache and phoned the marketing consultant on the hospital to make her case pressing.

Karen mentioned: “Eventually in 2024, I got a letter from the hospital to say my surgery had been brought forward to February.

“I used to be known as into hospital for a pre-operation evaluation the place they did blood assessments and ECGs.”

While she was at the hospital, Karen said that there had been no date booked for her surgery.

She thought this was a mistake as he had a letter from the hospital to confirm.

The nurse called through to the consultant who said Karen’s surgery had been cancelled.

Karen said: “I had no info earlier than that, the nurse was so sorry and did not know what to say.

“I called back when I got home and asked for a reason they said there were no beds.

“I began fascinated with having to pay to go personal right here within the UK, I began wanting into it however knew it would not be low-cost.”

Karen’s condition deteriorated further and she had to stop working and move in with her partner Ian so he could look after her.

She said: “Ian was serving to with my day-to-day residing and he mentioned I ought to try to get into a non-public hospital in Oxford.

“The cheapest I was offered was £20k for a one-night stay.

“I’d go in, have my operation and be discharged the subsequent day.”

Karen said she wasn’t looking to travel abroad for her surgery but came across the Nordorthopaedics Clinic, Lithuania, on Facebook.

She said: “I clicked the hyperlink and enquired, I then received a cellphone name again talking me by way of all of the choices.

“They explained how they would pick me up from the airport to a hotel of my choice and then pick me up again to take me to the clinic.

“I’d have my surgical procedure after which I had the selection, I might transfer into one in all their flats or go right into a spa for rehabilitation.

“The whole thing, including flights, surgery, and nine days in rehab cost me £8.5k.”

Karen was nonetheless undecided however discovered a clinic assist group on Facebook, she joined it and chatted to different individuals who had been to the clinic.

She then determined it was the fitting choice for her and booked her surgical procedure for February 2024.

She mentioned: “Ian came over with me and we stayed in a hotel the night we arrived, the next day a driver picked me up and took me to the clinic.

“Within half-hour I used to be having my blood, ECG and X-ray after which I received my outcomes quickly after that.

“My surgery was scheduled for 12:30 but the surgeon arrived and took me down at 10:30 instead.

“I used to be again in my room by 1pm and on my toes by 4pm.”

After two more nights in the clinic, Karen was transferred to the clinic spa for nine days of rehabilitation.

She said: “I had 4 remedies a day together with physiotherapy cryotherapy and a therapeutic massage daily.

“There were a lot of British people there, we have all become friends and stayed in touch.”

Karen received again to the UK in March 2024 and sooner or later might want to get her left hip changed.

She mentioned: “The left hip has now deteriorated and I will have to have that replaced.

“I’ll positively return to Lithuania with out a shadow of a doubt.

“I can not fault the clinic, the staff made me feel so safe.”

The wait between when Karen was instructed she would want surgical procedure and given a surgical procedure date was one 12 months and eight months.

The Trust states that the utmost watch for routine orthopaedic operations is 65 weeks.

The NHS ready time begins from when the hospital or service receives your referral letter, or if you e-book your first appointment by way of the NHS e-Referral Service.

Kettering General Hospital’s Chief Executive, Deborah Needham, mentioned: “We are focussed on reducing waiting times for treatment and our teams continue to work extremely hard,  including carrying out additional activity at weekends, to ensure our patients are seen in a timely manner.

“We understand the impact long waits for surgery can have on our patient’s lives and apologise to anyone awaiting treatment who has had to have their planned care rearranged due to either operational pressures or industrial action.

“There continues to be high demand for our services, especially for urgent and emergency care, and we will continue to try and minimise the impact unplanned care and industrial action has on patients waiting for a planned appointments or surgery.”