John Winnik flew to Lithuania for cheaper treatment with partner Lyn (Image: John Winnik)
A man who travelled to Lithuania for a hip replacement has warned that Labour’s waiting list targets are “pie in the sky”.
Grandfather-of-two John Winnik, 72, was told he faced an 18-month wait for an NHS operation on his right hip last year.
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Suffering with osteoarthritis and back problems, he decided to go abroad for faster care.
John, who campaigns with charity Versus Arthritis, said: “I had heard of going abroad. My partner had three bouts of gallbladder problems where she was hospitalised and still not put on the waiting list, so I actually paid for her to go to Poland to have her gallbladder removed.”
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The glazing security consultant contacted a foreign clinic and the procedure took place just six weeks later in April 2024.
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He spent a total of ￡9,000 on the trip, including the cost of the procedure itself, travel and accommodation for him and his partner, and a week of rehabilitation before they returned home.
This was still considerably less than the ￡15,500 he was quoted for a private operation in the UK.
John is now waiting to find out whether his left hip also needs replacing. His appointment to see a consultant later this month was booked in September.
Labour’s target of slashing 18-week waits seems unrealistic given the scale of the problems the NHS is facing, John said.
He explained: “After my experiences it’s a bit pie in the sky because of the backlog of the waiting list that exists already.
“I’m nearly 73. I’ve worked since I was 16 years old, paid into the system. I just feel very let down and I can’t see it getting any better at the moment.”
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Deborah Alsina, chief executive of Versus Arthritis, said she was pleased to see Labour’s plan for reducing NHS waiting times.
She added: “Waiting lists for trauma and orthopaedic treatment remain among the highest in the NHS, hitting record levels. We know operations like joint replacements can be transformative, enabling people with arthritis to get back to or stay in work and could prevent a spiral of declining physical and mental health.
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“We welcome the Government’s commitment to ensure most patients wait no longer than 18 weeks to start their treatment by the end of this parliament.
“However, it remains vital that we see progress for reducing waiting times for life-changing treatment urgently. We await to see how these plans align with the NHS Ten Year Health Plan for England, due in Spring.
“Above all else, these plans must deliver for the millions of people with arthritis and MSK conditions who have been overlooked for too long.”