Scotland-headquartered Elite Surgery Abroad (ESA), which is pioneering affordable private surgery, has signed an exclusive agreement with a top French healthcare group which has the potential to expand the UK group’s operations into the US and Canada.

The unique partnership with the Amiens-based Victor Pauchet Clinic, the oldest surgical clinic in France, means the company can now offer British patients interventions such as hip and knee replacements for less than the UK private sector cost.

Stephan de Butler, CEO of Pauchet Sante said: “There are no boundaries in terms of healthcare. We warmly welcome British patients as a result of the extensive care packages fully organized for patients who come to us through Elite Surgery Abroad.

Our utmost priority is to provide excellent care by focusing first on the quality of care, our technical abilities and capacity and, second, to see patients within the shortest possible timeframe in relation to their healthcare needs.”

The new alliance also opens up the possibility of creating a franchising structure in North America, where healthcare costs are so notoriously expensive that treatment in Europe can become a financially attractive option.

With waiting times for NHS orthopaedic surgery in the UK remaining stubbornly high, roughly half of hip and knee replacements are carried out privately, according to the Nuffield Trust, and the affordability of the ESA offering is already attracting significant interest.

A major part of the attraction is that ESA’s package has a complete care pathway designed for UK patients which includes a dedicated residency to welcome them during pre-operation checks and rehabilitation.

ESA founder, Glasgow-based Raoul Mkoh said: “It has been a major breakthrough to establish such a good partnership with the Victor Pauchet Clinic and we anticipate being able to send them increasing numbers of patients who currently are languishing on NHS waiting lists.

While France might not be thought of as a typical location for private surgery, French healthcare is regarded as amongst the best in the world, while Amiens is close to Paris and so, easily accessible from all parts of the UK.”

He added: “The clinic, which was founded in 1897, has a team of 150 specialist practitioners and a hospitalisation capacity of 310 beds, with places to meet numerous care needs in surgery, medicine, maternity and medical and rehabilitation care.

After five days at the hospital and intensive physiotherapy, our patients are moved into the nearby residency, where they have a self-contained apartment in a building with a French restaurant. They are visited every day by their registered nurse and their physio. It has been described by some clients as ‘more like a holiday’.”