A new hospital in Birmingham has officially opened its doors at a launch celebration with guest of honour, celebrity GP and health advisor Dr Hilary Jones who is best known for his ITV appearances.
The newly-refurbished Practice Plus Group Hospital, in Birmingham, currently has no waiting list for either NHS or private patients.
As of November, NHS patients will be able to ask their GP for a referral to the hospital and expect to be seen in days and weeks rather than months and years. The hospital doesn’t expect to have a waiting list within its first few months of opening.
Those opting to pay for themselves or use private health insurance can book consultations now through Wellsoon private healthcare from Practice Plus Group.
The hospital, previously known locally as The Edgbaston Hospital, has undergone a £10 million transformation with a brand new reception, pharmacy, wards, X-ray suite and state-of-the-art theatres.
Practice Plus Group’s hospitals and surgical centres around the country help the NHS by welcoming patients in need of some of the most in demand procedures with the longest waiting lists, such as orthopaedic surgery, endoscopy and cataract removal. Practice Plus Group Hospital, in Birmingham, expects to complete up to 8,000 procedures a year when it’s at full capacity.
According to NHS England data, over 500,000 people are waiting for hospital appointments in the West Midlands, with 20,000 people waiting for more than 52 weeks. Nine out of 10 people in the West Midlands can expect to wait between 33 and 40 weeks for NHS operations such as hip and knee replacements, and according to Practice Plus Group research, one in 10 people in the region are resigned to having to wait a year.
Dr Hilary Jones said: “I know from my own hip replacement surgery that these ‘routine’ and ‘non-urgent’ operations are truly life-changing.
"Living with pain and not being able to do the things you love is exhausting and debilitating. Fast access to surgery, if this is what you need, will help you re-gain your mobility, your fitness and quality of life. It’s no surprise therefore that going private has become more and more common since the pandemic and is no longer considered just for the rich."
Jim Easton, CEO of Practice Plus Group, said: “It’s highly unusual, especially in the current climate, to have zero NHS waiting lists and we’re excited to welcome as many people as possible.
"We are delighted to bring what we do so well elsewhere around the country - helping both NHS and private patients - to the West Midlands. We have an incredible team of specialist consultants, nurses and healthcare professionals who bring with them a wealth of experience and we have invested heavily in transforming the site into a modern, welcoming hospital.
"Although we opened our Wellsoon private healthcare option a few weeks ago, we will be on GPs’ systems from November.”
