Private Orthopaedic Consultancy & Surgery

Self-funding patients can often book a private Consultation directly without a GP referral. However, having a referral letter from your GP is recommended so your Consultant has full context regarding your medical history.

If you plan to pay using private medical insurance, most health insurers strictly require a GP referral to authorise your claims and cover the cost of your consultation and treatment.

At Spencer Private Hospitals, an initial self-pay Orthopaedic Consultation typically costs between £180 and £250. Follow-up consultation fees generally range from £125 to £160, depending on the specific Consultant you choose to see. Full fee details and formal quotes for procedures are provided ahead of your appointment.

Yes, Spencer Private Hospitals is accredited and registered with all major private medical in

surance providers. We recommend contacting your insurance provider prior to your appointment to gain pre-authorisation and confirm the details of your cover. For more information, see our Prices page.

Private appointments are typically available within a few days to a week or two, depending on consultant schedules across our three East Kent locations (Ashford, Canterbury and Margate). Going private generally allows you to bypass long waiting lists and get prompt diagnosis and treatment.

To choose the right Orthopaedic Consultant, start by selecting a specialist who focuses on your specific area of concern, such as hip, knee, shoulder, spine, or foot and ankle care.

It is beneficial to look for a Consultant who offers a full range of treatments, prioritising non-surgical therapies like Physiotherapy and joint injections before recommending surgery.

You should also consider choosing a Consultant who practices at a convenient local hospital that has access to full emergency and diagnostic facilities.

Finally, reading patient reviews and feedback can help you gauge the Consultant's quality of care and bedside manner.

We offer our Orthopaedic Services at our three main locations in Kent: Ashford (William Harvey Hospital), Canterbury (Kent and Canterbury Hospital) and Margate (QEQM).

To accurately diagnose your joint, bone, or muscle condition, your Orthopaedic Consultant may recommend one or more diagnostic tests, including:

• X-rays: To assess bone structure, joints, and arthritis.

• MRI scans: To provide detailed views of soft tissue structures, including tendons, ligaments, cartilage, and nerves.

• CT scans: For cross-sectional imaging of complex bony anatomy or fractures.

• Ultrasound: To examine real-time movement of tendons and muscles or guide joint injections.

• Blood tests or joint aspiration: To rule out underlying inflammatory conditions or infections.

Your recovery rate will depend hugely on your age, your overall health, and risk factors such as your diet and how much exercise you do.

If you eat healthily, don’t smoke, and exercise regularly, you should recover more quickly than if you smoke and do not exercise. Keep in mind that as you get older, your body generally recovers more slowly. You may be fully recovered in four to six weeks, but more complicated surgery can take three months to recover from. Every case is different, but your specialist will be able to give you a rough idea.

It is likely that you will need to have time off work to recover and will not be able to drive a vehicle for a period of time. You will need to rest and recover at home, and during this time you may need to make adjustments around the home if your mobility is affected.

It is vital that you make sure you get lots of rest after your surgery. It will take a few days for the anaesthetic to leave your system, so during this period you will be very tired.

• Avoiding alcohol will help to boost your immune system, and eating lots of fruit and vegetables will ensure that you have the vitamins and minerals you need.

• Once you are feeling better, you will be able to start moving around again and getting back to normal.

• Listen carefully to the advice given to you by your specialist. They will give you information on how best to look after your body post-surgery and ensure that you recover well.

Before the procedure, your Orthopaedic surgeon will talk you through the process and what you can expect. You’ll be made comfortable and looked after by a team of specialists during your stay.

Your specialist and their team will stay in touch with you after surgery to make sure that you are recovering properly. You will have a post-surgery consultation to make sure that the procedure was successful and to determine whether any further treatment is necessary. In some cases, you will not need to have any further treatment and can resume normal life. However, some people may need to take continuing medication or physiotherapy for a time to help adjust to life post-surgery.

Rehabilitation is the process of adjustment that you go through after Orthopaedic surgery.

• You may find that the part of your body that has been operated on feels different or works in a different way.

• You may experience pain or discomfort as you adjust, and this sometimes needs to be managed with medication.

• You will be given exercises to do at home to improve your mobility as you heal, but it is important not to overdo it as your body heals, as you can damage delicate tissue if you overuse it before it is ready.

Sometimes surgery can only go part of the way to treating a condition. You may find, then, that you still have mobility issues. In this case, your specialist should help to support you by suggesting services that might be useful (like occupational therapy) to ensure that you have everything you need to make home and work life as straightforward as possible.

In some cases, you may need to have further surgery to fully correct an issue. This is something that you will discuss with your specialist once you have healed and undergone the recovery period.

More and more individuals are opting for private consultation and surgery for their Orthopaedic injuries or complaints. Going private means that you don’t have to worry about waiting a long time to be seen by Consultants or specialists.

You’ll typically have an assigned team of dedicated specialists when staying in a private hospital. That’s certainly the case at Spencer Private Hospitals, where our experienced staff work hard to make your stay as comfortable as possible.

It is often the case that private hospitals are highly specialised in certain areas for specific conditions. There are a number of things to consider before selecting a hospital for your Orthopaedic surgery or consultation.

Though there are many private hospitals, not all will offer the surgery you require. If you know that you need a hip replacement, for example, you will need to research which hospitals specialise in this kind of surgery. Choosing a local hospital is a good idea if you are not very mobile and also to make matters easier if you have to make multiple return trips for post-operative care such as physiotherapy.

Private treatment is all about choice. When you contact a hospital, ask about their emergency procedures. Many private hospitals do not have an accident and emergency department, meaning that they will have protocols in place to dictate what they would do in an emergency situation. It is likely that you would be transferred to a nearby NHS Trust hospital.

Fortunately, all three Spencer Private Hospital sites are situated within an NHS hospital setting. This means we have the advantage of being able to access A&E, ICU, and emergency teams, giving you total peace of mind when in our care.

Remember to ask about ongoing support when selecting a hospital, too. Often, you will need to build muscle strength through exercises given to you by your specialist, and you will probably be asked to return after surgery to see how you are healing and whether the procedure has been successful.