BHR resurfacing on the NHS

[RobMsport]

I had my left hip BHR resurfaced on 20th Nov 2000 by Mr D Mcminn and was working again , landscaping and race driving 3 months later. It's brilliant and has kept my right hip going much longer than seemed possible ie. 13 yrs , but it now really badly needs doing. I can't walk far , say half a mile max with a stick plus a lot of pain through my hip/knee and leg. My question to any surgeon willing to reply is ----------- Can this be done on the NHS as I'm no longer in the position to pay , as was the case in 2000 and would really like to have this same very successful BHR method on my right hip ?
I live in BUCKS near to the CHILTERN HOSPITAL and have heard that it's possible to go there under the NHS '' choose and book '' scheme BUT is there a surgeon operating the BHR method there.

[hernanu]

Hey Rob, and welcome.

I believe we've had several hippies from the UK do this, I'll let them fill you in on the mechanics. I think Mr. McMinn is not available, but Mr. Treacy is, who is also a highly successful BHR surgeon.

[Dannywayoflife]

Hay mate! The best thing for you to do is ask for an appointment to Mr Ronan Treacy at the royal orthopaedic in Birmingham. He has done thousands more than a anyone else with incredible success.

Feel free to pm me if you want any help

Danny

[Anna]

Hi,

You can definitely have it done on the NHS, yes! I don't think Mr McMinn does it on the NHS but Ronan Treacy does who invented the BHR with McMinn. He practices at the Birmingham ROH and is one of the best surgeons in the UK for resurfacing. There are lots of other surgeons in the UK who still resurface however I personally think its better to travel the miles to get the best surgeon possible. There is a list on this website of all the most experienced resurfacing surgeons around the world.

Also, although not many people realise, and your GP will try tell you otherwise, you can choose which surgeon you want to see. That is your right, so you can tell your GP to refer you to Mr Treacy. Sometimes GP's can be a bit funny about this and a few of us on here have had this problem, so an alternative and quicker route if you can afford it, is to book a private appointment with Mr Treacy which I think cost around £150. If he says you are a good candidate for resurfacing then you can tell him you want him to do it on the NHS and he will write a letter to your GP telling them to refer you to him.

Hope that helps.

Anna

[RobMsport]

Many thanks for your replies , I'll be going through this route asap (choose and book)   

[RobMsport]

Hi,

You can definitely have it done on the NHS, yes! I don't think Mr McMinn does it on the NHS but Ronan Treacy does who invented the BHR with McMinn. He practices at the Birmingham ROH and is one of the best surgeons in the UK for resurfacing. There are lots of other surgeons in the UK who still resurface however I personally think its better to travel the miles to get the best surgeon possible. There is a list on this website of all the most experienced resurfacing surgeons around the world.

Also, although not many people realise, and your GP will try tell you otherwise, you can choose which surgeon you want to see. That is your right, so you can tell your GP to refer you to Mr Treacy. Sometimes GP's can be a bit funny about this and a few of us on here have had this problem, so an alternative and quicker route if you can afford it, is to book a private appointment with Mr Treacy which I think cost around £150. If he says you are a good candidate for resurfacing then you can tell him you want him to do it on the NHS and he will write a letter to your GP telling them to refer you to him.

Hope that helps.

Anna

Anna ,
   Are you quite sure this will be the case , even if you don't live within the NHS area for financial yes or no aggeement ?   Having been to my own doctor this morning to start the procedure , weight/BP etc etc and am having an x-ray later today ----------------- she tells me that she has no problem referring me BUT that our area(HERTFORDSHIRE)is very unlikely to pay for it/BIRMINGHAM being the area concerned. We'll just have to wait and see what transpires after her application to '' choose&book '' .

[evant]

Anna is correct as she will reply herself.

I learnt of this through good people on this site and was referred by my Cornwall GP.

Enjoy the luxury as in Wales no such system exists - the local surgeon is your one and only choice and it's a post code lottery whether he has done 1 or a couple of hundred resurfacings with a device that probably won't be the BHR.

Good luck on your journey through the system to the operating table of an incredible surgeon, who happens to be a thoroughly decent human being too.

[Dannywayoflife]

The NHS is the NATIONAL health service not the local health service. If the NHS gives you any grief go and see Mr T for a private appointment and he will write to them for you. They generally just refer you after that

[RobMsport]

The NHS is the NATIONAL health service not the local health service. If the NHS gives you any grief go and see Mr T for a private appointment and he will write to them for you. They generally just refer you after that

Thank you Danny , I've had an x-ray today so that will arrive at my doc's surgery in 7 days then we'll see what she can do for me . If no joy then I'll try a direct appointment with either Ronan Treacy or Mr D McMinn and ask for the NHS route/payment . Musn't antagonise my GP as I have other prob's she's looking after !!!

[Anna]

As Evant and Danny have said, it's a national service. My GP was prepared to send me to see anyone I wanted but unfortunately Mr T couldn't help me. I did however end up going all the way to London (I live in York) to see a different surgeon on the NHS. They have to let you see whatever surgeon you want to see.

Hope it all gets sorted soon

Anna

[RobMsport]

As Evant and Danny have said, it's a national service. My GP was prepared to send me to see anyone I wanted but unfortunately Mr T couldn't help me. I did however end up going all the way to London (I live in York) to see a different surgeon on the NHS. They have to let you see whatever surgeon you want to see.

Hope it all gets sorted soon

Anna

Thank you Anna , it's obviously not going to be a simple route to my desired operation but am very grateful for your informed advice.

[Dannywayoflife]

Unfortunately Mr McMinn is purely private these days mate so as far as hip resurfacing goes my choices in the UK would be No1 Ronan Treacy, No2 Mr O'Hara, No3 Mr Latham. They all work on the NHS 2 in Birmingham (the first 2) and 1 in Southampton. There are a few other good surgeons but why compromise when you can have the best in the world? Persist with your gp. It's going to cost them either way and if they send you to a local butcher then potentially it may cost them twice! It's in their intrests to get it right first time!

Danny

[RobMsport]

Well , after some good few weeks now I'm going through the motions of being referred to Mr McMinn . Having had the x-ray , seen my GP , she has informed me that 3 things need to be tried and failed then she can refer me . Two she's written off as not possible due to other health reasons but I've been taking pain killers (the 3rd option) for a good few weeks . They just about knock the egde off the pain provided that I don't do anything ie. sit and rest !!! Any activity and they're worse than useless --- walking 200 yards , biking , mowing the lawn , gardening , driving road or circuit --- and the pain is hell , right down into the thigh , knee , shin and foot . This is taking up to 8 a day of 500 mg  paracetamol .
    Having said all the above , I'm quite certain she knows full well it wont do the job BUT it's what needs doing before she can refer me. RULES & more RULES !
   I'll be seeing my physio tomorrow for shoulder/arm accupuncture on the left side which I'll need to be good for use of crutches     While there I'll make another appointment to see my GP and report pain killer results . Hopefully I can get up to Birmingham before Xmas , otherwise I wont be competing in the race car next season 

[Pat Walter]

Hi Rob

I moved your posts to the hip story section.  Be patient and you will get to Mr. McMinn.  You don't want to use surgeons that don't have a lot of experience, if you can help it.

Good Luck.

Pat

[RobMsport]

Hi Rob

I moved your posts to the hip story section.  Be patient and you will get to Mr. McMinn.  You don't want to use surgeons that don't have a lot of experience, if you can help it.

Good Luck.

Pat

  Thank you Pat , patience is something life has taught me so happy to wait for the next move . Last time resurfacing it took me 8 weeks before driving again and just 3 months before wading into landscaping . A month after that I was driving on track again so an op before December would be good if my GP can work it for me .

[HippyDogwood]

Rob

I am in the UK as well and have been seeing Mr Latham, albeit privately.

It just doesn't feel right to me that your GP is saying you have to try managing the condition through painkillers before she can refer you and I woul honestly find an NHS helpline and check that out. Alternatively I suspect that Mr Treaceys office could be helpful if you emailed to say that you are looking to get an appointment but are being held up by the system in this way as they will know the "rules". Or as Danny says, maybe just book a private consultation which will get you the prognosis and you can then see how you can work it back to getting a formal NHS approval

David

[RobMsport]

Rob

I am in the UK as well and have been seeing Mr Latham, albeit privately.

It just doesn't feel right to me that your GP is saying you have to try managing the condition through painkillers before she can refer you and I woul honestly find an NHS helpline and check that out. Alternatively I suspect that Mr Treaceys office could be helpful if you emailed to say that you are looking to get an appointment but are being held up by the system in this way as they will know the "rules". Or as Danny says, maybe just book a private consultation which will get you the prognosis and you can then see how you can work it back to getting a formal NHS approval

David

Thanks for your concern David . Maybe I didn't make it really clear about my GP ==== she actually expects this to fail and needs it to do so , in order for her to navigate the system. She's definitely on my side . If this fails to get me referred then I'll simply make an appointment with Mr McMinn and pay the fee .

[RobMsport]

I had a further appointment with my GP today and she is referring me to Mr McMinn , so now it's a funding issue once he's decided I'm a candidate . Apparently , funding is an area decision then cost is allotted to the particular surgery practice you happen to be in. We'll see 

[HippyDogwood]

That's good progress Rob as at least you'll get quality advice on what is required

[RobMsport]

No appointment as yet , perhaps it's a busy time . I was hoping to have a new hip before Xmas but it's looking more like January at the moment