FAQs

One Health treatment is FREE at the point of use for all NHS patients.

Yes. All our Consultants believe that continuity of care and open consistent communication is of paramount importance to the successful and speedy recovery of our patients.

What Should You Do the Day Prior to the Operation?
Essentially you can do whatever is your normal routine and you can eat, drink etc as per normal. However it is sensible to avoid too much alcohol or rich/spicy foods the day prior to an operation.

What Should You Do on the Day of the Operation?
The hospital will be in touch to advise of admission times.
If you take regular medications, e.g. blood pressure tablets, it is safe to take them with a sip of water in the morning.

If you are diabetic please make sure you inform your Consultant of this and they will individually advise you as to what dose of insulin or diabetic medication you need to take.

We understand that some patients may have restrictive schedules or have to arrange childcare etc. If you wish for any particular admission time please ring our PA’s to request this two days prior to your operation. They will do everything they can to accommodate your request but please be aware that certain cases, e.g. children and diabetics, need surgery towards the start of an operating list.

Day Case Patients – After the Operation
If you are due to go home on the day of your operation this will usually be 4-5 hours after the operation.

You will ALWAYS be seen by your Consultant after your operation.

Overnight Patients – After the Operation
Our Consultants will always come to see you after your operation and in fact all the days you remain in Hospital. There are occasions when they will be out of the city at meetings or on leave. We try to schedule operations such that this is reduced to a minimum. If they are away you will be told of the event and we will organise a colleague to cover.

Once You are Home
If you feel there is anything “going wrong” once you go home after your operation you are welcome to contact your Consultants directly.

If there is a query/emergency during office hours (9 am to 5 pm Monday to Friday) please contact us on 0114 250 5510.

If your Consultant is away we will always have another Consultant who covers their practice who is available for advice and/or consultation.

Patient choice is a Government initiative leading to a more patient- centred NHS. It enables patients to choose a Hospital or clinic, with an appointment date and time convenient to them. If your GP refers you, you can choose which hospital or service you go to. One Health Group is proud to be one of those choices. We have been appointed as an NHS Qualified Provider and are fully accredited by the Care Quality Commission. Our Consultants take responsibility for quality and safety very seriously and our Healthcare Managers will ensure that every patient received the highest level of service and support throughout their service.

If you wish to change the date of your operation for medical or employment reasons, please let our staff know as soon as possible. We will make every attempt to arrange a new date and time at our earliest convenience.

Please also be aware that on extremely rare occasions your Consultant may need to postpone your operation. This is usually done at some length away from the date but occasionally we may have to cancel at very short notice, usually for clinical reasons. If this is the case we will make every effort to accommodate your needs in arranging a future date. We would stress that such an eventuality is rare. If an operation date needs to be re-arranged our staff will arrange to contact you by telephone or by a letter.

In general:
Your Consultant will ask you if you are taking any medication during your outpatient appointment. It is extremely important that you give as much information as you can so that your consultant can make an informed clinical decision on what action needs to be taken.

Diabetes:
If you are diabetic (insulin dependant or on tablets) your operation and anaesthetic will need to be managed carefully. Please make sure you let your Consultant know if you are diabetic and they will advise you of what to eat, drink and what treatment to take prior to your operation.

The Oral Contraceptive Pill and Hormone Replacement Therapy:
Certain types of oral contraceptive pill and hormone replacement therapy increase risk of deep venous thrombosis after an operation. For this reason we often advise that you safely and appropriately come off these medications. Please let your Consultant know beforehand if you take any of these medications and they will advise you what to do.

You can choose a hospital or service based on whatever matters to you most – this could include shorter waiting times, quality of service, choice of consultant and location nearer to where you live. In the long term, choice is expected to reduce waste in the NHS by better use of resources and capacity, and the increased involvement of patients in their treatment

‍

You will be invited to attend an outpatient clinic where you will meet the Consultant who will manage your care. This will give you an opportunity to ask any questions that may be concerning you and to discuss in more detail what you should expect before during and after your operation if applicable. Your Consultant will also use this opportunity to undertake any further diagnostic tests that they may feel are necessary.

If you are a candidate for an operation (e.g. knee replacement) our Hospital partners may also invite you to come up to the Hospital for a pre-assessment a week or two prior to the procedure taking place.

The purpose of the pre-assessment is to ensure that there are no conditions you have that would prevent us proceeding with surgery (e.g. urine infections). The nurse will take all the tests that are necessary and also give them the opportunity to discuss the finer points and practicalities of your stay in Hospital. Most patients find this useful.

Both our Consultants and our Hospital partners take Hospital acquired infection very seriously and take active measures to prevent it. This includes MRSA but other infections are also possible and we take active steps to prevent them. One of these steps is to screen patients coming into Hospital for MRSA, i.e. to see if you have MRSA on your skin, nose etc prior to coming into Hospital. If we find that you do we may need to postpone your operation and give you treatment to eradicate it. We hope you agree that this is a sensible policy to try to minimise any occurrence of MRSA at the Hospital you have chosen.

How do you use my data and how do I access it?

To view our Privacy Hub, click here.

Although we strive to provide our patients with the best possible experience throughout their journey with One Health, if at any time you would like to discuss your care in more detail or raise any concerns, you can contact our dedicated Patient Liaison Team who will endeavour to resolve these issues and help you reach the desired outcome as best they can. If you are still not happy with the outcome and wish to raise a formal complaint, you can do so by writing to our complaints department or email our complaints team at complaints@onehealth.co.uk.

Please refer to our complaints policy for more details.

Our website details the qualifications and experience of every one of our Consultants. Obtain details of your chosen Consultant.

How can patients be referred to One Health Group through NHS e-Referral? Visit your GP and decide together that you need an appointment with a Consultant. Discuss your preferences with your GP eg would you like to see a particular consultant or clinic nearer to home? If you choose One Health Group, your GP will guide you through the process using NHS e- Referral.

Referral can be made by your GP to our DIRECTLY BOOKABLE SERVICE via the Electronic Referral System (ERS) – enabling you to choose the date, and location of your appointment before you even leave your GP practice.

We guarantee to offer you a prompt appointment on receiving your referral – it’s as simple as that.

If physiotherapy is indicated after your operation this will be arranged for you.

Although your operation will be performed in one of our regional centres, out-patient physiotherapy need not necessarily be at the hospital where you had your procedure. We have a close relationship with a large number of physiotherapists in a number of local areas and we can organise your physiotherapy with one of these units.

We normally liaise directly with the physiotherapist you have chosen to see and pass on your medical details so that your treatment can be optimised.

As an NHS patient referred by your GP, all the treatment you receive at One Health is free.

Patients who are referred for a first outpatient consultant-led appointment are able to choose which consultant team they’d like to see as long as it is a clinically appropriate option for their referral. Consultants are listed against One Health clinics on the NHS-e-Referral website.