TV star Dr Hilary Jones has issued a health update after he was pictured in a hospital bed.
The GP, 72, who is known for his appearances on GMB and Lorraine, is from Kent. However, he made a 180-mile trip from his home to undergo a second hip replacement in Birmingham.
Following the operation, Dr Hilary has opened up about recovering while choosing to go to a private hospital…
Dr Hilary Jones in hospital bed
Dr Hilary revealed he sought treatment at a private hospital to avoid a huge waiting list.
He used Patient Choice, which is an NHS service. It gives people the option to search for private facilities, hospitals and other providers that they can access.
Private hospitals can even be used if they provide the same service that the NHS would. Meanwhile, patients have access without being billed for it.
As a spokesperson for Practice Plus Group, Dr Hilary underwent his operation at a new hospital in Birmingham.
“I’d do it again in a heartbeat for faster, quality care and highly recommend it. Patient Choice gives people real power – they just need to know it’s there. The NHS App is going to be developed further to make this easier, and you can speak to your GP about your choices. You can choose to be referred to a private hospital at the outset, or you can switch hospitals like I did if you’re facing delays locally,” he said.
He added: “People don’t want to be on a waiting list. They want to get on with their lives. Every single person that looked after me was amazing and couldn’t have done any more. I am delighted with the result so far.”
In a photo obtained by the Express, the 72-year-old was captured recovering in his hospital bed with a smile.
‘Doctors don’t make good patients’
In January, Dr Hilary was welcomed back to Lorraine after he had been absent from screens for some months.
He returned to the ITV daytime show with a medical boot. Discussing his time away, Dr Hilary revealed he had “a little disagreement with my Achilles tendon and a little boney spare at the back of my heel”, which he stated “had to be gone”.
Dr Hilary insisted that “doctors don’t make good patients”. However, it reminded him that it reminds “us what it’s like to be a patient”.
Read more: Dr Hilary Jones shares news of his mother’s death on Lorraine: ‘She was a remarkable woman’
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