About Us
Private Weight Loss and Gastric Band Surgery
The WLS Group is owned and managed by passionate individuals, practitioners and like-minded investors. Our team have over 20 years of collective experience working with weight loss surgery patients.
We work hard to provide a ‘gold standard’ patient focused service by giving you the care,
knowledge and skills to work with the surgical procedure you choose to have – we want patients to feel safe in the hands of our specialist multi-disciplinary team and learn the secrets of long term success.
We know how hard the fight with obesity is...members of our team have had the surgery
themselves and therefore our multidisciplinary team can talk from experience about weight loss surgery and ‘The journey’ in detail of what to ‘really’ expect after surgery.
We are primarily a Weight loss surgery company unlike other providers who are primarily cosmetic surgery providers.
We understand the questions you are bound to have - This is why we have the knowledge, skills and resources in place to make sure that everything is right for you and we hold your hand every step of the way on this incredible journey.
I was an obese child, adolescent and adult. In August 2004, after trying everything possible
to lose weight and failing, I underwent weight loss surgery and have since gone on to lose over 14 stone.
Having lived the 'journey' I worked for weight loss surgery providers in the marketplace and developed a passion for helping patients fully understand the benefits and pitfalls
of surgery.
It quickly became apparent to me that aftercare was crucial to success and for optimizing weight loss. After listening to so many patients who had
not received the care they were ‘sold’ I decided to create a company with our renowned Bariatric Nurse, Wendy Stubbs, that really did deliver what it promises ......Surgery is a big thing to commit to – not just financially but physically so it has to be the right decision for you !
I have always been a big girl .............I found out early in my life that food was my addiction of choice, I loved it and it was the perfect solution to all my emotional needs. When I was under pressure or had problems I found comfort in food and when I was celebrating I ate because I was happy and it was another reason to ‘blow’ that week’s diet .
I used every excuse to eat and every excuse to convince myself it was okay !
I really struggled over the years, tried every slimming club, every pill , every weird and wonderful way to lose weight and always found myself heavier than when I started !!
I was disgusted with the way I was eating my life away, my friends say I ended up ‘super obese’ because I had a personality disorder resulting from a lack of will power and self-control !
I soon learnt Obesity is a chronic disease and I just couldn’t stop myself...
Being overweight was a horrible way to live and I hated every minute of it, I didn’t have any medical conditions associated with obesity and at a 60 + BMI this was unusual, although I could not have what I wanted - A baby!
What I did have though were lifestyle conditions associated with obesity and these were embarrassing – incontinence, skin fold infections, not fitting in chairs, aching joints, being infertile and depression were by far the worst.
My life has really changed since my surgery and I finally feel ‘normal’ but surgery isn’t magic, you have to work with it !!
Oh, and I gained a son!
I qualified as a nurse in 1982 and following my love of children became a neonatal nurse
before having my own family. I went on to be a Senior Theatre practitioner and also managed a post-anaesthetic care unit, which is where I learned more about weight loss surgery.
I was invited to join the obesity team in Leeds as a specialist weight loss surgery nurse and
quickly developed a passion for the patient journey and I hope this shines through in my day- to-day work.
In 2003, I was asked to be one of the founder members of the BOSS HCA, providing support
and training for regional theatre teams, nurses and practitioners and also developed one of
the first support groups in the country and a ‘drop in’ centre for weight loss surgery patients .
I completed my gastric band adjustment training in early 2006 and I enjoy the challenge of
working with patients who are struggling along the way and I feel my standard of care is
second to none. Not only do I work very closely with patients, I have also had weight loss surgery myself !!
I have always been trim until my children were born, then like most women I struggled to keep the weight off. For 5 years I seemed to be quite stable, then I was diagnosed with lung cancer in April 2011.
That hit me like a thunderbolt, I was not worried about me at all, in fact I was rather composed, it was my family and WLS Group that concerned me the most.
Both needed me equally, although my survival was crucial to me too! I had to get through this for my children, and my patients!
I gradually increased in weight during my recovery period due to medication, lack of exercise, which I used to take for granted and of course my eating behaviour had changed drastically.
I had been investigated for other tumors in my liver and gut, without sounding too dramatic, I knew my risks and prognosis, but got the all clear.
The WLS Group encourages patient feedback and constructive criticism from patients and/or/their representatives as a way of ensuring that problems are dealt with sympathetically and, where appropriate, improvements made.
We recognise that complaints and patient concerns are important in terms of learning, improving service and reducing future risks to patients.
Complaints and concerns provide an opportunity to examine the services in the hospitals we use and clinical practice and to ensure that a culture of quality improvement and risk reduction exists, in line with the overall clinical governance framework within the group.
You can give us feedback by phone, email or letter, for the attention of Michelle Bowater, Managing Director:
WLS Group, Albion Mills, Albion Road, Bradford BD10 9TQ - 0800 78 79 029 - michelle@wlsgroup.co.uk.
When dealing with complaints, concerns and compliments, we will confirm receipt within 48 hours and will endeavour to send a full reply within 40 days.
To complain about data protection or to request your medical records, we will endeavour to respond within 40 working days. There may be a small charge for sending medical records.
