"Third knee surgery"

Over two years, the condition of my knee deteriorated to the extent that all movement was painful and replacement surgery was required. I felt lucky that my area outsourced the surgery to a private clinic that gave every appearance of being state of the art in every aspect. The first surgery was an unmitigated disaster. The second surgery some weeks later was followed within 12 hours by treatment at an NHS hospital, the consultant taking pictures of the issue it was so bad.

A few months later when optimistic following further recovery treatment at a different NHS hospital, I was devastated when the muscle snapped and I had to start again with my knee cap dislocating most days..

At that stage I was referred to the Orthapaedic specialist Mr Phillips at the Royal Devon and Exeter, but this is not just about him. When he operated on me recently, I had been struggling with mobility and pain for three years and had two failed (outsourced to private clinic) operations. I had resigned myself to a life of pain.

Yet my experience at the the Princess Elizabeth Orthopaedic Centre, as a part of the RD&E Hospital, from parking, via reception, support staff, x ray, bloods and all the preliminary visits, through to the surgery and brief stay on a ward, I have nothing but praise for the efficiency of everyone involved along with, what seemed to me, genuine care for me as a person.

Yes we are all cases and medical staff have to treat the concern, but it was so refreshing to feel like someone had been through the process from a patient's perspective and encouraged the holistic treatment of the person.

After the surgery I was quite emotional so have waited to gauge the post-op treatment, the surgery outcome, and to ensure that my story was factual more than emotional. I can objectively contrast the sleek, profit focused private service with the cash starved NHS and say without risk of contradiction, that apart from the free TV and parking, the NHS service was better in every way.

When I contacted the private clinic post first and second surgery, they told me to go to A&E as they could not provide emergency aftercare. Every discussion and every communication revolved around them maximising profit, denying culpability and loading cost onto the NHS. 

By contrast, Mr Phillips and team at the RD&E  took the time to find the root cause, plan an effective treatment and to deliver a complex surgery. I knew exactly what they intended to do and the risks involved. I was reassured by the professionalism, but even more so by the candour and humanity of each and every touch point.

We are conditioned to expect long waits when in contact with the NHS, as we would with any service that has unlimited demand and is cash starved. But the other aspect of the overall treatment that makes the RD&E stand above all others, is that every single appointment, from bloods to meetings with the consultant, was either on time or early. I always take a book and headphones to these appointments. I never got to use either. So I salute the efficiency throughout.

As a patient, I am in awe of what the three surgeons who performed the surgery at the the Princess Elizabeth Orthopaedic Centre achieved. It has been life changing. As a person I would like to shake the hand of everyone and thank them personally for exceptional care. Literally from the physical and telephone reception, especially including Mr Phillips' secretary, right through to the kind couple that took my  staples out, accommodating my being late and still patiently minimising the negligible pain, I appreciate that mine is a personal experience and others cannot all have been as lucky, but whatever the RD&E do that makes them different, please keep doing it. It works.