Find your trusted Doctor

Mr Mohammed Akmal

Orthopaedic Surgeon

I have been under the care of Mr. Akmal since 2022, for treatment of Spinal disc degeneration. Without his professional skill and empathy I would still be in chronic pain. Having had a very successful disc replacement & fusion surgery back in 2023 under his care, further deterioration in other joints resulted in needing another bout of disc replacements and fusion in my cervical spine, and cortex spacers in my lumber spine. In late 2025 I embarked on another session of surgery and underwent the operation to replace, fuse and insert spacers in the offending areas of my Lumber & Cervical spine. I request both of my afflicted areas be treated in the same operation, whilst naturally cautious he undertook a rigorous assessment of the risks and eventually he and his team agreed to proceed. I had both my Cervical and Lumber spine treated in the same surgery and having entered at 07:00, I once again walked out at 18:00 on the same day. 2 weeks later the key hole wounds had healed I was off painkillers and well on the way to full recovery. My experience again is a testimony not only to the personal skill, knowledge and empathy of Mr. Akmal, but to all the people who enable such life changing surgery to happen, including the anaesthetist, surgical team, and ward staff. The successes of the surgery undertaken by Mr. Akmal and his highly skilled team are due not only to their professional skills, but to the holistic approach taken from diagnosis, explanation of options, type of painkillers and follow up care. Whilst the impact of aging and bodily wear cannot be escaped, Mr. Akmal does offer options to improve quality of life immensely. An interesting footnote is prior to the surgery I was suffering from Hypertension, post surgery my BP is back to normal for my age, a reflection of how chronic pain can affect you in more ways than one....!!

Practice Plus Group Hospital, Shepton Mallet

Ear Nose & Throat Surgery (ENT/Otolaryngology), General Surgery, + 5 more

Admin efficiency Things didn't get off to a great start when there seemed to be an issue regarding what my insurance would cover, even though I had received two confirmations from the insurer over the phone and one confirmation by email. I felt a bit like a criminal and that I was lying about the treatment being covered. In the end, the insurer had to phone Practice Plus direct to sort it out, because no-one would believe that I was telling the truth. I've never come across this problem before at the Spire or the Nuffield. Usually the admin trail works very smoothly. Cleanliness The carpet in the waiting area is dirty and is covered in tea/coffee stains. There were pubic hairs on the toilet seat in one of the toilets by the waiting area. Not great at all. Waiting Time I am a private patient and I usually use the Spire in Bristol or the Nuffield, which run to time. My appointment for an injection was 30minutes late. Unacceptable. Staff To be fair, some of the staff are lovely. But some of the staff are downright rude. When I went to speak to one of the receptionists after waiting for my appointment for over 20minutes, I simply asked to check that I was on the system. The answer "yes". Oh I said, it's just that I haven't been called yet. Is there a delay? The answer "yes" - and a roll of the eyes to say "yes and your problem with that is??" I have to have another appointment at some point, so let's hope that my next experience is better.

Unblocked Thinking

Coaching

I began working with Jo shortly after receiving my autism diagnosis at the age of 45. At the time, I was already an experienced practitioner, but I was navigating a new understanding of myself while continuing to work at a high professional level. Jo’s mentoring was genuinely transformative. Through her insight, strategies, and lived understanding, Jo helped me to recognise who I am, clearly identify my strengths, and understand that I am not deficient. She supported me in developing the confidence and language to advocate for myself, to understand the reasonable adjustments I was entitled to, and, crucially, how to ask for them effectively. The impact of Jo’s work with me went far beyond personal insight. By applying the strategies and approaches she shared, I not only progressed professionally; I was promoted first to a senior role and then to Service Lead. Jo helped me align my authentic self with my professional practice, strengthening both my leadership and my effectiveness. Jo’s mentoring has had a lasting impact on my confidence, my career, and my sense of self. Her support was empowering, affirming, and deeply respectful, and I cannot overstate the value of what she helped me achieve.

HCA Healthcare UK

General Practice (GP)

I had my varicose vein scan with Louis and honestly couldn’t have asked for a better experience. From the start, he made me feel relaxed, comfortable, and confident that I was being properly looked after. Louis explained everything in a really easy-to-understand way and talked me through the scan as it was happening, which helped put me completely at ease. The ultrasound was very thorough, and it was clear he really knows what he’s doing, nothing felt rushed, and he took his time to check everything properly. What I appreciated most was how calm and reassuring Louis was throughout the appointment. He made sure I understood what was going on, what the scan showed, and what the next steps might be, without using complicated medical language or making it feel overwhelming. The whole appointment felt professional but friendly, and I left feeling informed, reassured, and confident in the advice I was given. If you’re feeling nervous about having a varicose vein scan or don’t know where to start, I would 100% recommend seeing Louis. You’re in very safe hands.

Check4Cancer

Oncology, Diagnostics & Testing

This whole experience has been rubbish. One of the questions asked if I had ever had polyps, which I had but 15 years ago, and because I clicked yes, recommended me as not suitable for screening...a lot can happen in 15 years, and it didn't ask me how long ago it was. The form was clunky to use and complete. In the results letter it said if I still wanted screening despite my results, to go to my results page. However when I went to that page it gave no options to select screening. It showed a Submit button on the results page, but would not let me proceed as I had not selected a service, however there were no services to select. The results letter gave me a link asking for feedback, either a quick survey or a detailed survey. When I clicked the detailed one it came up with an Error404 message. When I clicked the quick survey, it asked me questions about recent visits, were the staff friendly, was the practice clean etc, instead of asking any questions about my experience with the recent cancer screening survey...they were completely irrelevant.

Fitzrovia Suite

Obstetrics & Gynaecology

We chose Fitzrovia Suite as its part of big NHS hospital in case of any unexpected emergency, it made us feel comfortable being just 1 floor away in case anything happens. The team is wonderful and professional able to create a sense of safety and calm in those moments before and after birth. They were supportive during one of the most vulnerable and delicate experiences a woman can go through, offering practical tips, guidance, emotional support and truly personal care at any hour, for any question or request we had. Midwifes supported us looking after our baby so we can get some sleep waking us is time for feeds, meds and breastfeed support. The midwifes were also available on WhatsApp after the birth, which was incredibly helpful. There is so much information to process when you’re discharged home, and having the ability to ask follow-up questions and get quick clarifications made a huge difference for us. Facility itself is clean, catering is nice, rooms were comfortable, branded toiletries are provided -great experience.

RTN Mental Health - Right To Choose

Diagnostics & Testing, Psychiatry, + 1 more

Made typos on my medical documents several times regardless of me flagging they require updates Can’t schedule simple appointment times and check with people if they are available instead sending random meeting times which clash with my work On 3 occasions now I have tried to join a meeting to have no one there Even if I am having problems connecting and 2 mins late someone should be in the allocated slot waiting especially given the people you are meeting with are disabled All this titration has done is add extra stress to my life instead of helping anything I am now going through medication withdrawals because I have been unable to meet in my titration meetings regales of me flagging several times that these timings do not work with my work commitments and now I have extra stress and pressure on my life at an extremely stressful time Would not recommend this to anyone it’s taken me a whole year since my diagnosis to even get to this point and I am still being messed around

Dr Venkat Mahesh

Gastroenterologist

This doctor (Mahesh) has completely transformed life with chronic constipation. The appointment started with a really thorough, calm discussion of a long history of symptoms, and for the first time everything felt properly listened to and joined up. The examination was focused and not excessive, just what was needed to work out the next steps. The colonoscopy was explained clearly beforehand, carried out gently, and felt very safe throughout, with clear results and what they meant. Afterwards, a newer laxative was recommended alongside very practical dietary changes and pre‑/probiotic advice, all tailored to day‑to‑day routines rather than some leaflets. ​ Since then, bowel habits have improved dramatically, pain and bloating are so much better, and normal life feels possible again. It genuinely feels like someone finally understood the problem and offered a long‑term plan rather than a quick fix, and I have a huge gratitude for the care and expertise given.

The Royal Free London Private Patients Unit

Breast Surgery, Ear Nose & Throat Surgery (ENT/Otolaryngology), + 18 more

Nurses and clinicians very friendly and made the experience much more bearable (Dom, Karen, Svetlana and Maria - thank you!) Main issue with my experience was inability to get basic medication required for pain relief post-surgery. Was told my procedure would be finished and we could leave around noon. But my pain medication (codeine and paracetamol, so nothing complicated!) had to be couriered from a local pharmacy. We waited over 4 hours for it to arrive and it never came. In the meantime my numbing had worn off and I was in a lot of pain - my partner had to go and ask the nurses if there was any spare codeine I could have while I waited. We eventually gave up and went home after many hours wasted, and had to pay for a private prescription at a pharmacy near home. Appreciate delay was with pharmacy and nurses did their best to get updates, but this system is not working.

Mr Robert Gleeson

Orthopaedic Surgeon

Absolutely first-class from every point of view: full knee joint replaced in an amazing 40 mins, painless procedure thanks to brilliantly administered and effective spinal anaesthetic, followed by really helpful advice subsequently on meds from Winfield's Pharmacist Mr Elliott. My rapid recovery within weeks was then enabled by the support of very able and attentive physio team and I also really appreciated the helpful hydrotherapy sessions. I couldn't be more delighted with the whole experience and result (almost invisible scar and recovered mobility) and would highly recommend Mr Gleeson to anyone needing a knee replacement. My grateful thanks to him and his whole team.

Mr Hugh Jewsbury

Ophthalmologist

Jenna was scheduled for surgery on the Tuesday morning. Everything was explained to us in detail. I had no concerns - all of the staff including Mr. Jewsbury dealt with her in a really calm and confident manner which made her not worry too much. She was taken down first thing in the morning and we were out early afternoon with clear instructions. Her eye has healed really nicely and we’ve got no concerns and overall what could have been a really stressful experience for Jenna was actually quite calm and controlled because of all the staff and particularly Mr Jewsbury. She was quite anxious going in but everyone made her feel very comfortable

One Stop Healthcare

Pain Management, Breast Surgery, + 48 more

I had a check up and cleaning from the dentist Sonia. What a marvellous professional and friendly person. I am extremely nervous at dentist but Sonoa went above a beyond to make me at easy. She transmitted me calm and I'd never ever thought to feel calm at the dentist. I only hope she will not leave as well. I am so tired of OSD turnover of staff it's very stressful for me getting used to someone and than change it. Sonia is precious if I was OSD boss I'd do whatever I can to keep this kind of empathetic professional with me. Doc Sonia thank you from the bottom of my heart to make me feel special. THANK YOU Imma

Spire Cambridge Lea Hospital

Breast Surgery, Ear Nose & Throat Surgery (ENT/Otolaryngology), + 19 more

No problems with check in or with the meeting with Mr Krkovic. However the hospital is showing signs of neglect. The loo in the corridor outside Trinity Suite had no paper towels and and a completely overflowed waste bin. The coffee machine in Trinity was broken in October and is still broken in January. The former quite serious, the latter not serious but to be not fixed over so many months suggests neglect and that always raises the possibility that things I can't see are also neglected. SIte management needs shake-up.

Living Mind

Psychiatry

I’ve had an outstanding experience with my psychiatrist from the very first session. They created a safe welcoming environment where I was truly hard and understood the approach compassionate professional professional Taylor to my needs which has made a huge difference in my mental health journey. They take the time to explain treatment options clearly and always encourage open communication. I feel supported and empowered thanks for their guidance. Highly recommended to anyone seeking thoughtful and effective psychiatric care

Dr. Samina Javaid

Obstetrician & Gynaecologist

Despite the 2 year wait for this appointment, it was the first time I felt I was listened to about my experience. 8 years, post total hysterectomy due to breast cancer diagnosis. No HRT, no real support for menopausal symptoms. I had just accepted and learned to live with it! The doctor was extremely knowledgeable, and understanding, and I came away from the appointment feeling quite emotional. I genuinely felt heard and am keen to try the recommended treatments.

Spencer Private Hospital Canterbury

Pain Management, Cardiology, + 6 more

It was great to be able to see Mr Steven Lau at the Spencer, although a great shame that the NHS does not recognise crossover between private and public services. I had paid £250 to see Mr Lau for the same consultation as I had on 7th January, meaning that I am no further along the path of accessing the treatment I’ve waited 21 months for. I am grateful, however, that I’m accessing private services via the NHS