Foot & ankle surgery, by a consultant surgeon
Foot cysts, ingrown toenails, Morton's neuroma, plantar fasciitis - and any nagging foot or ankle problem you want a straight answer on. Every patient at our Penarth clinic is seen by Mr Luke Hughes, a Consultant Foot & Ankle Surgeon. Suitable procedures are done at the clinic under local anaesthetic, and for anything bigger he will explain what is going on and how best to sort it. It all starts with a £250 consultation, follow-up included.
Follow-up included.
What the consultation covers
- ✓A proper hands-on examination by a Consultant Foot & Ankle Surgeon
- ✓A clear diagnosis, and whether surgery is even needed
- ✓Your treatment options talked through, surgical and non-surgical
- ✓A firm, all-inclusive price for any procedure you go on to have
- ✓Review of any X-rays, MRI or ultrasound scans you bring
- ✓A follow-up appointment included in the £250 fee
Why choose our foot & ankle clinic
Consultant-led, every time
The surgeon who assesses you is the one who operates on you — never a trainee or registrar.
Seen within a week
No 12-month NHS wait — most patients are seen for consultation within a week.
Follow-up included
Your review after the consultation is built into the £250 — no extra fee to come back for the answer.
Price agreed up front
Any surgery is quoted at the consultation, all-inclusive. No surprises on the day.
The foot & ankle problems we see most often
Bring us what is bothering you. Mr Hughes will examine your foot or ankle, explain what is going on, and lay out your options - what can be treated here at the clinic under local anaesthetic, and what needs a hospital setting he can help you arrange.
See a clinician promptly if you have had a recent injury with a "pop" or immediate swelling, if you cannot bear weight, or if pain is worsening quickly. Some tendon and ligament injuries do better when they are treated early.
Foot & ankle clinic prices
Everyone starts with the £250 consultation, and your follow-up is included. All procedures at our Penarth clinic are done under local anaesthetic. Individual procedure prices are quoted at the consultation, so the figure you are given is the figure you pay.
Foot & ankle consultation
Where everyone starts. A hands-on assessment with a Consultant Foot & Ankle Surgeon to confirm your diagnosis, weigh up the options - surgical and non-surgical - and give you a firm, all-inclusive price for anything you go on to have. Your follow-up appointment is included in the fee, so you can come back for the answer at no extra cost.
Foot cyst & ganglion removal
Removal of a ganglion or other cyst around the foot or ankle, taken out with its root to reduce the chance of it coming back. Done under local anaesthetic at the Penarth clinic - you are awake, no fasting, and you walk out the same visit. Sutures out at 10 to 14 days.
Ingrown toenail surgery
For toenails that have grown into the surrounding skin and keep getting infected or painful. Wedge resection or full nail removal with matrix ablation to stop it coming back, done under a local anaesthetic block to the toe. Most people walk out the same visit and are back at a desk the next day.
Steroid injection
A targeted steroid injection for Morton's neuroma, plantar fasciitis, or painful ankle and midfoot joints. Can settle symptoms without the need for anything bigger, and is often the right next step after physio and footwear changes. Where suitable, it can be given in the same visit as your consultation.
Anything that needs a hospital theatre - bunion correction, arthroscopy, tendon repair, ankle arthritis surgery - is not done at Acorn. Mr Hughes will still assess and diagnose these at your consultation, and can talk you through what your options look like elsewhere.
We accept Bupa, AXA Health, WPA, Vitality, Aviva, Cigna, Healix, Saga and Allianz, and we will help with your pre-authorisation paperwork. Send us your insurer details and we will advise.
Why everyone starts with a consultation
Foot and ankle symptoms overlap. Heel pain can be plantar fasciitis or Achilles related, a "bunion" can be several different problems, and ankle pain after a sprain that never quite got better can be more than one thing at once. The £250 consultation, with your follow-up included, settles what is actually going on and whether an operation is even the right answer - before you commit to anything.
Years of putting up with foot pain and hobbling first thing in the morning. Seen quickly, everything explained properly, and I finally know what is actually going on. Should have gone privately years ago.
Verified patient reviewFrom booking to back on your feet
Book your consultation
Online or by phone, no GP letter needed. The consultation is £250 with your follow-up included, at Penarth or Cowbridge.
Assessment
Mr Hughes examines your foot or ankle, confirms the diagnosis, talks through the options and quotes your final price.
Treatment
Suitable procedures - cysts, ingrown toenails, injections - are done at Penarth under local anaesthetic. Awake, no fasting, walk out the same visit.
Review & recovery
A follow-up with your surgeon to check things are healing as they should, with clear guidance on getting back to walking, work and sport.
Before your procedure
There is very little to do. Everything at Acorn is done under local anaesthetic, so you eat and drink normally beforehand. Your surgeon may ask you to pause blood thinners such as aspirin or ibuprofen for a few days, and will tell you at the consultation if that applies. Bring any X-rays, MRI or ultrasound reports you already have.
Afterwards
A steroid injection is a straight walk-out. After a cyst removal or ingrown toenail procedure, keep the foot elevated for the first day or two, and most people are back at a desk the next day. Your surgeon gives you exact aftercare advice for your procedure and reviews you personally at follow-up.
Foot & ankle surgery near Cardiff
For your consultation, with the follow-up included. Surgery is quoted from there, with a firm all-inclusive price agreed before anything is booked.
- ✓Consultant foot & ankle surgeon from first appointment to final review
- ✓Follow-up review included in the £250 consultation fee
- ✓Written aftercare advice and clear recovery guidance
- ✓Your surgery price agreed at the consultation, before anything is booked
All procedures at our Penarth clinic are done under local anaesthetic. Individual prices vary by procedure and are quoted at your consultation, same model as our minor surgery service.
Your foot & ankle surgeon, Mr Luke Hughes
Every foot and ankle procedure at Acorn is carried out by Mr Hughes himself - the surgeon you meet at your consultation is the surgeon who operates on you.
Mr Luke Hughes
Mr Hughes is a Consultant Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgeon with a subspecialty interest in foot and ankle surgery. He trained through the North West orthopaedic programme with placements at BOFAS-accredited centres in Manchester and Wrightington, and completed a foot and ankle fellowship at Southmead Hospital in Bristol, honing his practice in ankle arthroscopy, arthroplasty and minimally invasive techniques. He is Orthopaedic Lead for the Cardiff and Vale Diabetic Foot Service and a member of the British Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (BOFAS).
Medical Director: Dr Syed E. Junaid. Acorn Private Clinic is regulated by Healthcare Inspectorate Wales.
Common questions about the foot & ankle clinic
How much does foot & ankle surgery cost at Acorn?
The consultation is £250, with your follow-up included. Procedures done at the clinic are priced individually and quoted at the consultation - the range at Acorn covers what can be done under local anaesthetic (cyst and ganglion removal, ingrown toenail surgery, steroid injections). A firm all-inclusive figure is given once your surgeon has examined you and confirmed exactly what needs doing.
Is the follow-up really included?
Yes. Your £250 consultation covers the initial assessment and a follow-up review with Mr Hughes - useful for going over scan results, checking response to a first line of treatment, or coming back with questions. It is not billed separately.
Do I need a consultation first?
Yes. Every procedure follows a £250 consultation with the surgeon. Foot and ankle symptoms overlap, and the right treatment depends on exactly what is going on, so we do not book anything in until you have been examined in person, the diagnosis is confirmed, and you have a firm price. It is also your chance to ask everything and decide whether treatment is right for you at all.
What anaesthetic will I have?
All procedures at Acorn are done under local anaesthetic. You stay awake, there is no fasting, and you walk out the same visit. That means the scope of what we do here is scoped to procedures that suit local anaesthetic - cyst and ganglion removal, ingrown toenail surgery, steroid injections. Anything that would need a general anaesthetic is not done at Acorn; Mr Hughes will assess it, explain what is going on, and talk you through how best to arrange it.
What if I need surgery under general anaesthetic?
Anything that needs a hospital theatre - bunion correction, ankle arthroscopy, tendon repair, ankle arthritis surgery and similar - is not done at Acorn. What the consultation gives you is a proper Consultant assessment, a clear diagnosis and a clear picture of your options, so you know exactly what you are dealing with and can make an informed decision about where and how to have it treated.
What foot and ankle conditions do you treat?
Mr Hughes covers the full range at the consultation - bunions, hammer/claw/mallet toes, Morton's neuroma, plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendinopathy and rupture, ankle instability, ankle and midfoot arthritis, sports injuries, deformity correction, flat foot, and diabetic foot conditions, among others. What is treated at Acorn is scoped to local anaesthetic procedures - cysts, ingrown toenails and steroid injections. Anything bigger is diagnosed and the onward pathway is discussed at your consultation.
Who performs the surgery?
All foot and ankle surgery is performed by Mr Luke Hughes, Consultant Foot & Ankle Surgeon (BMedSci BMBS MRCS FRCSOrtho DipMedEd). The consultant who assesses you at the consultation is the one who operates - never a trainee or registrar.
Do I need a GP referral?
No. You can book the consultation yourself, online or by calling 029 2199 9300. If you have had X-rays, MRI or ultrasound scans done elsewhere, please bring the reports with you.
How quickly can I be seen, and how long is recovery?
Most patients are seen for consultation within a week. Recovery depends entirely on the procedure - a Morton's neuroma injection is a walk-out, a bunion correction usually needs a few weeks in a stiff-soled shoe, and larger reconstructions need longer in a boot with a gradual return to weight-bearing. Your surgeon gives you exact timings for your operation.
Do you accept private health insurance?
Yes. We work with Bupa, AXA Health, WPA, Vitality, Aviva, Cigna, Healix, Saga and Allianz, and we will help with the pre-authorisation paperwork. Contact us with your insurer details and policy number and we will advise. Self-pay prices are given at the consultation.
Where is my consultation, and where are procedures done?
Your consultation can be at either clinic, Penarth or Cowbridge, whichever is easier to reach. All procedures are carried out at Penarth, 13 Washington Buildings, Stanwell Road, CF64 2AD, about 10 minutes from Cardiff city centre. Our Cowbridge clinic is at Beauty Within, 10 High Street, CF71 7AG.
Not sure which procedure you need?
You do not have to work that out yourself. Book the consultation, describe what your foot or ankle is doing, and Mr Hughes will examine it, tell you what it is, and lay out your options - surgery or not. Plenty of people book simply for a straight answer, and the follow-up is included.
Book a £250 consultationTwo clinics, close to Cardiff
Have your consultation at whichever clinic suits you. Procedures at Acorn are all done at Penarth, under local anaesthetic.
Penarth Clinic
Consultations and LA procedures13 Washington Buildings
Stanwell Road, Penarth
CF64 2AD
Mon to Thu 9:00 to 18:00
Fri 9:00 to 17:00
Sat 9:00 to 15:00
Cowbridge Clinic
Consultations onlyBeauty Within
10 High Street, Cowbridge
CF71 7AG
By appointment. Please call for availability.
Get directionsPatients travel to us from Cardiff, Penarth, Cowbridge, Barry, Newport, Bridgend and across the Vale of Glamorgan.
Important: The information on this page is general and is not a substitute for assessment by a clinician. Foot and ankle conditions cannot be diagnosed from a description alone. All treatment at Acorn Private Clinic follows a face to face consultation, and any procedure is only recommended where it is genuinely the right treatment. If you have had a recent injury with severe pain, cannot bear weight, or symptoms are worsening quickly, please seek medical advice promptly.
Get your foot & ankle sorted.
Book your £250 consultation, follow-up included, and find out exactly what is going on, what your options are, and what it costs. Most patients are seen within a week at Penarth or Cowbridge, near Cardiff.