Connect by Practice Plus Group

CONNECT

One day ops

Benefits of same day joint surgery

Welcome to our international nurses

What to expect from cataract surgery

Unlocking Access to Excellence.

At Practice Plus Group we believe everybody deserves access to outstanding healthcare.

In our hospitals and surgical centres, this means working with the NHS to treat as many NHS patients as possible and helping to reduce waiting lists.

It also means making private surgery more affordable and easier to access for those who choose to pay for themselves.

We offer faster diagnosis and rapid access to surgery at a time that suits you, with no hidden costs, a dedicated coordinator to guide you through, and at up to 30 per cent less than traditional private hospitals. The outstanding care you need, without paying for what you don’t.

Welcome to the first ever issue of our new Practice Plus Group magazine, Connect.

We hope you will enjoy learning more about Practice Plus Group’s fantastic staff, projects and services, and hope that our colleagues enjoy the opportunity to highlight their great work.

In this special launch issue, you can read about how our orthopaedic surgeons, anaesthetists and teams in Ilford, Barlborough, Southampton and Shepton Mallet are leading the way in establishing same day joint surgery, where eligible patients having hip and knee replacements can choose to go home on the same day. This is proven to have numerous benefits for recovery and has been a resounding success.

We also shine a light on our new international nurse recruitment programme, and meet some of the nurses who have joined us recently from around the world.

You can also read about Deputy Radiology Manager, Georgie Haylor, and how she manages to carve out plenty of time with every patient.

Jim Easton Chief Executive

The best PLACE

We are delighted to share that Practice Plus Group has scored exceptionally well in the latest Patient-Led Assessments of the Care Environment (PLACE) assessments.

PLACE is a national survey, completed by patients, which assesses six key areas of hospitals: cleanliness; food and hydration; privacy, dignity and wellbeing; condition, appearance and maintenance; dementia and how well the needs of patients with dementia are met; disability and how well the needs of patients with a disability are met.

The results, published by NHS England, show a high score in all the domains. We scored particularly well, even compared with other independent providers, for ‘cleanliness’, ‘condition, appearance and maintenance’, ‘dementia’ and ‘disability’.

Dementia-friendly accolade

Our recent Patient-Led Assessment of Care Environments (PLACE) scores (see page 4) recognised the work Practice Plus Group is doing to welcome and support patients with dementia.

Tracey Davies, Governance Manager at Practice Plus Group Surgical Centre, St Mary’s Portsmouth, has led the charge with this project after identifying a growing number of patients with dementia who would benefit from additional support to meet their specific needs.

Tracey says: “I had lost my own father to dementia three months earlier and had found the experience of healthcare appointments very difficult. My father was the most mildmannered person, but when he didn’t understand what health professionals were doing to him he would become very agitated.”

Tracey joined the mental health charity Mind’s dementia group, along with other organisations across Portsmouth and Hampshire who wanted to improve their accessibility for people with dementia, including leisure centres, retail parks and cinemas offering dementia-friendly sessions, and NHS hospitals.

She organised for a ‘dementia bus’ to visit the hospital, so staff could step on board and experience an environment in the way people with

to read, and were accompanied with images to show what each area is for. The addition of the images on the signage can also benefit people who may struggle with reading, for example those with low vision, non English speakers and people with some learning disabilities.

By making the environment more dementia-friendly it makes it easier for people to share their difficulties if they can see they are in a safe space where their challenges are recognised.

dementia do. Staff also completed an online course on the Mind website to become ‘dementia friends’.

Mind completed a review of the centre and how Tracey could improve its dementia-friendliness. This included arranging for toilet seats to be blue instead of white, to help dementia patients to differentiate between the toilet and the basin, different coloured taps, and mirrors in the lift were covered up because people with dementia sometimes mistake their reflection for someone else watching them.

Signs around the hospital were changed to yellow and black, which are easier for people with dementia

Clean routine

It also helps those who may be in the early stages of dementia who have’t yet been diagnosed, and helps people who do not want to disclose their diagnosis.

The centre can also consider requests for companions to accompany patients throghout their journey if it makes the patient feel more comfortable.

The learnings from Portsmouth are now being rolled out across the rest of Practice Plus Group hospitals and surgical centres.

In 2022/3, Practice Plus Group retained its 100% clean score for having zero hospital-acquired infections across its groups of hospitals and surgical centres.

Mark Friend, Head of Infection Prevention and Control, is responsible for ensuring we comply with the National Standards of Healthcare Cleanliness, and has recently implemented an internal cleaning manual so that standards can be maintained and improved.

All of our cleaning staff are expected to undertake the level 2 qualification in Cleaning Knowledge and Skills.

Mark Friend

“I wish I’d known when my dad was ill how these simple, small measures in clinical settings could make such a big difference.”

“We are ensuring a focused collaborative effort across all teams, clinical and non-clinical, to retain our exceptionally high cleanliness standard. Each area has a scorecard clearly displayed so that patients and staff can see what cleanliness rating that area has been given.”

Lighting the way

Practice Plus Group is embarking on a new project to reduce our lighting energy consumption by a huge 38% by switching from compact fluorescent light fittings to newer, more efficient LED lighting by the end of August. As well as making some significant energy cost savings, this is great news for our commitment to lowering our carbon emissions.

LEDs don’t produce heat like fluorescent lights do, meaning energy is concentrated just on producing light, not heat.

To give you a sense of the scale, our current power consumption for lighting is over 62,000KwH. Our future consumption with LED lighting will be more like 39,000KwH.

They also have a much longer life-span, making them a great investment for long-term returns.

The only site we aren’t able to upgrade is Southampton, as their lighting is looked after by NHS Property Services who are also looking to undertake a similar project.

“With energy prices continuing to increase, it’s great news that we’re in a position to make this change now. This initiative will enable us to offset these increased costs, and offset our carbon emissions by reducing our energy consumption associated with lighting.”

Rob Cantillon, Head of Property and Facilities Management

My first knee replacement went so well, I came back for the other!

“I always played a lot of sport. I played football professionally when I was young, as well as rugby, squash, golf and running. I had surgery at 26 following a serious injury to my left knee. I had to give up playing professionally but managed to carry on playing football until I was 56, and doing lots of walking, gardening and playing golf. But over the years, wear and tear, and arthritis, took hold.

In 2019 I had a consultation with Mr Chris Waller, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon at Practice Plus Group Hospital, Southampton, and agreed I needed a left knee replacement.

From the outset, the communication was fantastic and I was extremely impressed with how well the department was run. I have been part of teams my whole life, from sports teams to a 40-year career in social work, and I could see that everyone was busy but not stressed, they knew their role, and worked well together as a team.

The surgery went smoothly, I did all the exercises and physio I was told to and made a great recovery.

Almost three years to the day, in July 2022, I went back for a right knee replacement. By then it was as bad, if not worse, than my left knee had been.

I trusted Mr Waller, the team and the process and it was fantastic from start to finish. With a three year interval in between, I found this remarkable. I’m back to full activity levels now.

Yesterday I walked for two and a half hours with no problem whatsoever and I do everything I want to in the garden. I also volunteer on the patient forum at Practice Plus Group Southampton along with my wife, Irene, to give something back for the excellent care I received.

It’s the least I could do to thank the team who have put me back on my feet - twice!”

Michael Earls

Ukraine support

At Practice Plus Group Southampton, David Rew, General Surgeon, recently led a team of volunteers to deliver eight hospital beds and vital medical supplies to Ukraine to assist with the ongoing devastation there.

The donated hospital beds were organised by the ward and management teams at Practice Plus Group, based within the Royal South Hants Hospital.

Mr Rew worked with contacts across the south of England to organise the Practice Plus Group shipment to

Kharkhiv and Dnipro, which included the not-for profit Ukraine Freedom Company (UFC), the Swindon Humanitarian Aid Partnership (SHAP) and the North Cotswold Rotary Club.

Mr Rew said: “We very much hope that donations will continue at scale and that more and more people and organisations will feel able to add their skills, imagination and resources to the coalition of charities in this programme”.

Six of the eight beds and 100 boxes of medical supplies were delivered in March, with the remaining two beds to be used to fit out the first of a large fleet of donated municipal buses for conversion to mobile health and surgical facilities in Ukraine.

Our hospital team at Plymouth have also been busy supporting Ukrainian charities, including collecting 200 Easter eggs which were shipped to a Ukrainian orphanage in partnership with the Plymouth Ukraine Medical Aid charity (PUMA) who made a delivery of vital medical supplies.

Michael Earls and wife, Irene

What a difference a day makes

Practice Plus Group surgeons are leading the way in sameday joint replacements, helping patients get home sooner and speeding up recovery.

Practice Plus Group hospitals are pioneering same-day hip and knee surgery, where eligible patients can go home within hours of their operation and reap the benefits of being at home.

Practice Plus Group Hospital, Ilford, for example, is the first hospital to establish high volumes of same-day hip and knee operations in London, and offers the same option to both NHS and private patients.

Development of the fast track pathway has reduced the length of stay for all patients to less than two days, freeing up 600 hospital days, or around 30% more beds.

Mr Nurul Ahad, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, says: “A decade ago, those having hip or knee replacements required a four or five-night hospital stay, but thanks to advances in anaesthesia and technology, one in five patients can now go home the same day if they

choose to. There are numerous benefits for the patient.

“Our research has shown they manage pain better, become more mobile more quickly, therefore reducing the risk of DVT, and they are more comfortable being in their own beds.”

Mr Ahad continues: “Waiting in pain for the life-changing surgery you need is debilitating and we want to help as many people as possible,

Mr Nurul Ahad

as soon as possible. Same day operations help us to do this by freeing up space and improving patient outcomes.

since completed almost 600 cases.

Mr Lovasz and Dr La Malfa recently had research published in the Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research, on the outcome and safety of day case joint surgery.

Patient perspective

“While there are certain criteria a patient needs to meet, for example not living too far away and having someone at home, we certainly don’t just cherry-pick the younger, fitter patients; I firmly believe we should be more inclusive and that there are benefits to same day surgery for most patients.”

Practice Plus Group first started establishing itself as a leader in same-day joint surgery in 2018, when Barlborough duo Mr Gyorgy Lovasz, Clinical Director of Orthopaedics, and Dr Marco La Malfa, Medical Director, visited hospitals in America where there are large purpose-built centres that focus entirely on day case joint surgeries.

Following their fact-finding trip, Barlborough became the first hospital in the East Midlands to offer the option to patients and they have

Mr Lovasz said: “In addition to low readmission and complication rates, day cases were associated with very high satisfaction rates (98% of patients were satisfied), showing that day case arthroplasty is a feasible, safe and highly satisfactory option for suitable patients.”

In the most recent National Joint Registry (NJR) data, which monitors and reports on performance outcomes in joint replacement surgery, all of our hospitals showed excellent outcomes.

Similarly in the most recent Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) data from NHS England, our Plymouth hospital scores in the top 5% nationally for total hip replacement, and Shepton Mallet in the top 5% for knee replacements.

For more information visit practiceplusgroup.com

Teresa Lee is back up and on her feet after her knee replacement at Practice Plus Group Hospital Ilford recently. Teresa was admitted at 7am and was back home by 8pm.

She said: “The staff and doctors were really nice and I felt I was listened to. My doctor asked me if I would like to try and get home later on the same day and this sounded good to me. My husband and daughter were at home and able to help, and for me I preferred to be there.

Even though I had been knocked out for the operation I felt well enough to leave. I was given information on exercises and I have a physio appointment too and I felt looked after. I would say to anyone given the option that they should see how they feel, as for me I did prefer to be at home.”

“There are benefits to same day surgery for most patients.”

“I would say to anyone given the option that they should see how they feel, as for me I did prefer to be at home.”

Dr Marco La Malfa and Mr Gyorgy Lovasz

Home from home

Thanks to our international nurse recruitment programme, Practice Plus Group is attracting nurses from around the world to help provide the very best quality care for our patients.

Nursing is the lifeblood of Practice Plus Group Hospitals and we are dedicated to ensuring we have experienced nurses who feel supported and valued, to enable us to continue to provide the high quality standard of patient care we pride ourselves on.

As part of this, we have been working with a third party agency to recruit nurses from abroad.

Since February 2022, we have welcomed 20 international nurses, with more than 22 currently in the pipeline. They come from as far away

as India, the Philippines, Nigeria, Zambia, the Caribbean, and the Middle East.

Genelyn Cabrera, Registered Nurse at Practice Plus Group Hospital, Shepton Mallet, was one of our first international nurses.

She said: “Originally I am from the Philippines where I was a theatre nurse, then I worked in Dubai for two years throughout the pandemic. Practice Plus Group shouldered all of the training and study time I needed to pass the exams and become a UKregistered nurse.

“I have felt very supported and welcome every step of the way; I was met at the airport and shown to my hotel, was given help finding somewhere to live.

“The communication and all the information provided has been great and I am really enjoying looking after Practice Plus Group patients. My husband is also a qualified nurse and we have a six-year-old daughter who has just started school here.

“Education is important to me and I’m happy she will have a good education. We’re very happy in our new lives.”

Kay Muwanei recently joined Practice Plus Group Hospital, Ilford, from her native Zambia.

She said: “I worked as a ward nurse in Zambia for two years before deciding to move to the UK for the career opportunities. I am living in walking distance to the hospital and have made friends with the other nurses who have been recruited from abroad.

Kay Muwanei

“I am working as a healthcare assistant while I’m supported to study for my final, practical exam to show that my work is up to the UK standard and I plan to continue a Masters in Healthcare Management that I started recently.

“The team have been so welcoming and I feel very supported. My husband is still at home in Zambia but we hope he can join me soon!”

Matt James, Head of Resourcing, says: “We pay for flights and up to three months of accommodation for our international nurses, and we fund their Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) assessment, which is required so they can register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

“This includes a residential training course and exams, and once passed they can work with us as a fullyfledged nurse.

“We also set them up with a UK bank account, ensure their accommodation is suitable, register them with a doctor, and show them where their local place of worship is.

new colleagues and helping them settle in. It’s been so successful we’re now expanding to recruit to other positions such as operating department practitioners and radiographers.”

“Invariably each relocation throws up one or two situations that we couldn’t have predicted, like the weather being too cold and the need for a thicker duvet!

“The success of the programme to date is also dependent on our teams locally, with managers and heads of clinical services welcoming their

“The enthusiasm displayed by our candidates has been a real joy to witness and the programme has been overwhelmingly positive.”

Genelyn Cabrera and colleague Feba Steaphen Emma Ahingkwa

A day in the life of...

Tell us about your role with Practice Plus Group

I joined Practice Plus Group as an agency radiographer contract at first, soon after I had moved to Devizes in Wiltshire. Thankfully a permanent position became available just two months later.

I could see some changes I wanted to make and as an agency worker I couldn’t do that, so I jumped at the chance to become a member of staff and I’ve never looked back!

I am very lucky to love my job so much. Practice Plus Group have been so supportive and have given

me opportunities for promotion and autonomy to make changes and run the department how I think best. Having come from the NHS, I love that I can really spend time with my patients and get to know their treatment plans, and what’s happening in their lives.

What does your typical day look like?

I split my time between working with patients and my manager duties. Last year I was recently involved in a complete re-fit of our X-ray room which is all lovely and new now.

Most of the patients I see are NHS

patients referred to us for X-rays from their GP, but we also have private patients, for example those who can’t wait on the NHS list for new hips or knees and are paying for themselves. Most commonly we see knees and hips, but we also X-ray hands, chests, feet, you name it!

It’s challenging to recruit at the moment, as it is for most radiology departments across the country

“I am very lucky to love my job so much.”

Georgie Haylor, Deputy Radiology Manager

in both the NHS and independent sector. We’re looking at different routes into the radiographer role to help us overcome this challenge, for example supporting one of our admin staff who wants to re-train, and we also have someone on an apprenticeship who will hopefully stay with us once qualified.

How do you manage to have time with patients even when you’re busy?

We plan our patient lists really well and, as my team works across two sites, we can flex our resource as we need to. Rather than over-booking our lists and squeezing patients in, we prioritise patient experience. The level of activity we can achieve is just as high as it was, but our patient experience has improved.

Even when we’re busy, I think it’s important to not pass this on to patients and to make sure they feel special. I pride myself on positive feedback and love it when patients thank reception on their way out!

Let’s hear it from our patients...

word - AMAZING!

Full replacement of my left hip took four weeks and three days from consultation to operation. Surgeon and associated staff were brilliant along with all my nurses and ancillary staff. Food was also great as an added bonus. Thank you Barlborough.”

“From start to finish the service was kind, caring & very efficient. From making appointments to aftercare phone calls everyone has been very professional. Same day surgery for Toric lens replacement in both eyes due to cataracts was painless, from the initial consultation to follow up meeting the surgeon was informative & considerate. I am delighted with my new vision without the need for spectacles (after 69 years!) The hospital is very clean. Highly recommend St Mary’s.

“I love that I can really spend time with my patients and get to know their treatment plans, and what’s happening in their lives. ”

“It's the most rewarding career and I love what I do.”

“Barlborough hospital and staff can be summed up in one

Colin Tegg, Trust pilot review for Practice Plus Group Hospital, St Mary’s, Portsmouth

Janice Armstrong, Facebook user review for Practice Plus Group Hospital, Barlborough.

Expert Q&A

Dr Teresa Anthony, Consultant Ophthalmologist, on cataracts

What are cataracts?

Cataracts are a common eye condition which often result in cataract surgery and treatment. As you get older the lens inside your eye gradually changes and becomes less transparent and this affects your ability to see.

When the lens becomes cloudy, light struggles to pass directly through it and you may notice problems with your vision. A cataract is not a growth or a film growing over your eye.

What are the symptoms of cataracts?

Typical symptoms include cloudy vision, changes in colour vision, glare while driving, difficulty with reading, glasses prescription changes, double vision or ghosting of images, progressive need for brighter light for reading, recent struggle with vision at night and increased sensitivity to light.

As cataracts get worse, vision becomes more cloudy and you might notice worsening of the symptoms. The sooner you see a specialist, the better the outcome is likely to be.

What causes cataracts?

The most common reason for cataracts is growing older, when natural changes within the lens occur. Most people over the age of 65 have some changes in their lens and the majority of us will develop a cataract in time.

Other common causes of cataracts include: diabetes, medications and previous eye surgery.

How are cataracts treated?

Cataract surgery involves removing the cataractous lens and replacing it with a clear plastic artificial lens, which is called the intraocular lens implant.

The surgery is done under local anaesthetic, which in most of the

Patient perspective

“I had been gradually losing focus in my right eye, with my vision growing weaker and fuzzier. I had always been short-sighted anyway and wore glasses or contact lenses, but the optometrist explained that if I left the cataract too long, my lens would harden and the surgery wouldn’t have as good an outcome. I love to go sailing, and the deteriorating vision was becoming a problem.

cases involves numbing the eyes with eye drops. You are awake during the surgery, but you don’t see any instruments. The surgery takes about 15 to 30 minutes.

There are various types of implant available. The standard NHS lens is a clear lens that improves distance vision, but doesn’t correct astigmatism, intermediate or near vision, and most patients will need post-operative glasses to give good vision.

Multi-focal, bi-focal and lenses for people with astigmatism are available if you choose to pay for your surgery.

What are the results and benefits of cataract surgery?

Patients often report an almost overnight improvement in their eyesight, with many returning to activities such as driving and reading with no further eye problems. Many people who have had cataract surgery also find that they rely less on glasses.

What are the risks and complications of cataract surgery?

The risk from cataract surgery is very low (< 1%) and complications are very rare. After the operation, you will be sent home with eye care instructions and you will need to put drops into your eyes for a few weeks. Provided you follow the advice given to you after cataract surgery, your recovery should be complete and complication-free.

I decided to pay because at the time I was busy with work and wanted to be able to schedule my surgery at a time that suited me. In fact, I had to reschedule several times due to diary complications, which the team all took in their stride without complaint.

From my initial consultation to the pre-op appointment and then surgery three weeks later, I was impressed by how clean and tidy the hospital was and by how professional all the staff were.

The operation went to time and plan. I was there for under three hours in total. I was amazed at how well I could see with the “new” eye only 10 minutes after leaving the couch. I could have driven home, if I’d been allowed! The recovery was really fast and my vision was excellent. I can even go sailing without contact lenses and though I have reading glasses when I need to focus on a small screen I can cope well without them.

It was a very positive experience from beginning to end.”

Mike, Shepton Mallet patient

Prize crossword

Complete and send in the form below with your crossword to be entered into a prize draw and the chance to win a £50 John Lewis voucher. The closing date is 31st August. Send to Practice Plus Group Comms, Hawker House, Napier Court, Napier Road, Reading RG1 8BW. Ts and Cs below.

Across

1. Horatio ___, naval officer created by CS Forester (10)

8. Surname of boxer previously known as Cassius Clay (3)

9. Roadside assistance providerinitials (3)

10. Instrument of Yehudi Menuhin and Stéphane Grappelli (6)

13. Root vegetable in the bindweed family (5,6)

14. Grand ___, Istanbul market (6)

17. Optical organ (3)

19. ‘The law is a ___’ – Mr Bumble in Oliver Twist (3)

20. 1961 film starring Paul Newman (3,7)

PRIZE DRAW TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Down

2. Sir Laurence ___, English stage and screen actor (7)

3. 1st-century Roman emperor (4)

4. Trickster god in Norse mythology (4)

5. Sustained armed conflict (3)

6. Epsom or Ascot, say (10)

7. New York financial centre (4,6)

11. Capital of Bolivia (2,3)

12. Knotting craft (7)

15. Indigenous people of East Asia (4)

16. Parent’s sister (4)

18. The first woman, Biblically (3)

Crossword by Richard Smyth

1. The Prize Draw is open to all readers of Connect except employees of the communications team at Practice Plus Group. 2. The closing date for receipt of all entries is 31st August 2023. 3. Responsibility cannot be accepted for entries that are incomplete, illegible or not received. Proof of posting is not proof of receipt. No cash alternative is available and prizes are not transferable. Value of prize is correct at time of going to press. 4. Winners will be notified by post. 5. The Promoter's decision on any aspect of the promotions is final and binding. No correspondence will be entered into. 6. The Promoter reserves the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value should circumstances make this necessary. 7. Entry implies acceptance of rules. 8. The winner of the crossword prize of a £50 John Lewis & Partners gift card will be the first correct entry drawn out of the bag. 9. The Promoter is Practice Plus Group, Hawker House, Napier Court, Napier Road, Reading RG1 8BW.

Practice Plus Group Hospital, Barlborough

Practice Plus Group Hospital, Emersons Green

Practice Plus Group Hospital, Ilford

Practice Plus Group Hospital, Plymouth Practice Plus Group Hospital, Southampton

Practice Plus Group Hospital, Shepton Mallet

Practice Plus Group Surgical Centre, Portsmouth

Practice Plus Group Surgical Centre, Devizes

Practice Plus Group Surgical Centre, Gillingham

Practice Plus Group Diagnostics, Havant Practice Plus Group Ophthalmology

Practice Plus Group MSK, Buckinghamshire

Practice Plus Group MSK & Spinal Service, Lincolnshire

Practice Plus Group Urgent Treatment Centre, Portsmouth

Practice Plus Group Urgent Treatment Centre, Southampton

At Practice Plus Group, we’re so confident in our ability to deliver high quality private treatment alongside short waiting times, that we’ve decided to put our money where our mouth is.

If you don’t receive your hip, knee or cataract surgery within four weeks of your consultation, we promise to knock 10% off the price - that’s how confident we are!

Now that’s a promise you can rely on.