Insured Patient
What to Expect, Insured Patient
Initial Appointment
How to Book Your Initial Appointment
To book your initial appointment with Mr Barkatali, the first step is to contact your insurance provider to request authorisation for your consultation. A referral from your GP or another specialist is not required to see Mr Barkatali, unless this is specifically stipulated by your insurance policy.
Mr Barkatali is registered with all major insurance providers, including:
Platinum Consultant and Open Referral Network, including Benenden Health
Preferred Provider
Including the Aviva Hip & Knee Network
Including Police Mutual
Including the Aviva Hip & Knee Network
If you are insured with a provider not listed above, please contact us and we will be pleased to advise on how to liaise with them to secure the necessary approval.
Ways to book
Once authorisation has been confirmed, you may book your appointment by calling 07722 646 372 or emailing support@thekneeclinicmanchester.com.
Alternatively, you can complete our online enquiry form, and a member of our team will contact you within 24 hours to arrange a suitable time.
If you have had any knee scans or X-rays within the last 12 months, please inform us in advance of your appointment. We will arrange for these to be transferred to the hospital’s system beforehand, ensuring Mr Barkatali has full access to your history from the outset.
Process
What to expect in each step
Your Initial Appointment
Your initial appointment will be a dedicated consultation with Mr Barkatali, typically lasting between 30 and 60 minutes. This allows sufficient time for a thorough assessment, including a full review of your medical history, a detailed examination of your knee(s), and, where appropriate, X-rays arranged on the same day.
We aim to offer an initial consultation within one week of your enquiry wherever possible.
You may choose the format that best suits your circumstances: a face-to-face consultation, which is preferred by most patients, or a video or telephone consultation — options often favoured by patients based further afield who wish to begin with a remote assessment.
Scans and X-rays
Should further imaging be required, this is usually carried out in the radiology department of the hospital where your appointment takes place. We work alongside leading radiologists in the region, using advanced equipment and techniques to support an accurate diagnosis.
Where an MRI or CT scan is required, this can often be arranged for the same day, or within a few days, depending on the availability of the radiology department. Once your results are available, a follow-up appointment will be arranged to discuss them with you.
Your Treatment Plan
Once the relevant diagnostic information has been gathered, Mr Barkatali will discuss your treatment options with you in detail.
Depending on your circumstances, these may range from conservative measures such as physiotherapy or injections, through to surgical intervention. Mr Barkatali will ensure you are fully informed of the risks, benefits, and expected outcomes of each option before agreeing on a preferred treatment plan together.
Physiotherapy
If physiotherapy is recommended, we work with a trusted network of experienced physiotherapists across the North West and will be pleased to guide you towards the most suitable provider for your needs. We will also prepare a detailed referral letter outlining the reasons for the referral and the recommended treatment plan, which can be used to secure approval from your insurance provider.
Injections
If an injection is recommended, your injection appointment can be booked either directly with the hospital or through our practice.The appointment typically lasts around 30 minutes, and you will be able to drive yourself home afterwards. For more information about the types of injections we offer, please see our dedicated injections page.
Surgery
If surgery is recommended, you are welcome to visit the self-pay department at the hospital to discuss the price in detail and confirm exactly what is included, or we can work with the hospital to arrange for a written quote to be sent directly to you within 48 hours.
The surgical price is made up of three elements: the consultant fee (which covers the surgery itself, in-patient aftercare, and one follow-up visit), the anaesthetist fee, and the hospital fee. The hospital fee is a single fixed price, covering the surgery, nursing, accommodation, aftercare, and physiotherapy provided at the hospital.
This fixed fee covers your entire hospital stay, however long it may need to be, so you won't receive any unexpected bills should you need to stay longer than planned for clinical reasons.
Our support doesn't end once you leave the hospital.
Your fixed price also includes any physiotherapy or rehabilitation sessions recommended by our team, carried out at the hospital, as well as up to two weeks of take-home medication, any bandages required, and the removal of dressings or stitches. Should you need to return to hospital for a clinical reason relating to your treatment, this will not result in an additional bill.
Both hospitals offer a choice of payment options, including payment plans with interest-free credit available for a set period.
Once you are happy to proceed, please contact us to arrange a surgery date.
Mr Barkatali operates a number of lists each week at The Spire Manchester and The Alexandra. Both are gold standard hospitals, recognised for their excellent staff, facilities, and levels of care.
The typical waiting time for surgery is 4–6 weeks, though earlier availability may sometimes be possible so please contact us to discuss.
Once a date has been agreed, we will submit a booking form to the relevant hospital to confirm the arrangement. The hospital will then contact you directly to arrange your pre-operative appointments, confirm your arrival time, and advise on any fasting requirements.
As a general guide, if your arrival time is 7am, you will be required to fast from 12am the night before; if your arrival time is 11am, you will be required to fast from 7am.
Aftercare and Rehabilitation
For any concerns or queries in the initial weeks following surgery, please contact the hospital where your procedure took place. A member of the medical team will be available to assist and will liaise with Mr Barkatali if required.
Approximately two weeks after surgery, you will have an appointment with the nursing team to check your wound and remove any sutures or staples.
A further appointment will take place approximately six weeks after surgery, during which Mr Barkatali will review your progress and discuss next steps. For certain minor procedures, patients progressing well at this stage may be discharged with an open appointment to return should any issues arise. For other procedures, follow-up appointments may continue for 12–18 months, with the number of appointments depending on the type of surgery and the level of follow-up required.
Rehabilitation is one of the key aspects of our approach. Great surgical outcomes are possible with great rehab and we pride ourselves on this working with some of the best physiotherapists in the country.
Knee Treatments
See Patient Reviews
Hear directly from patients who have trusted Mr Barkatali with their knee surgery. From getting back on the sports field to walking pain-free again, their honest stories show what expert care and a personal approach can mean for recovery. Read their reviews and see why so many patients recommend him.
“I would recommend Mr. Barkatali because, for one, he tells you all about what's going to happen. For two, the aftercare is good. And for three, he's a brilliant surgeon.“
David (Ted) Beckham, Total Knee Replacement in April 2023, aged 75
“As an international trampoline gymnast, my knee injury affected far more than everyday life; it threatened a huge part of who I am and what I’ve worked towards for years. Mr Barkatali understood that from day one, and I feel incredibly fortunate he was my surgeon. His skill and expertise were exceptional, and I felt in the best possible hands. His reassurance, honesty and genuine care made an enormous difference. He understood that my goal wasn’t simply to recover, but to return to competing internationally. Being back training means more than I can put into words. I’m forever grateful to Mr Barkatali for his impact on my career and life.”
Bashar Al Turk (GB Trampolinist), Quad ACL Reconstruction in July 2025, aged 22
“He's given me my life back, there's no doubt about that at all. It feels like it's completely back on track with no pain and nothing holding me back from doing anything that I wanted to.”
Alison Cutler, Arthroscopy + Distal Femoral Osteotomy March 2022 aged 53.
“I'm really lucky now because I can do everything that I could do before the problems arose. I'm also a really good example for anybody out there who's nervous about exercising post-surgery that actually you can get back to where you were”
Heidi (pilates instructor), Partial Knee Replacement in December 2021, aged 50.
