A centenarian is enjoying a new lease of life after having a hip replacement – at the age of 102.

Joy Palfreman, who lives in Exmouth in Devon, is thought to be the oldest patient to be fitted with a new hip at Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton.

The surgery was carried out at Parkside, the private wing of the hospital, by Ben Bolland, who has been an orthopaedic consultant for Somerset NHS Foundation Trust for 10 years.

From her home in Exmouth, Mrs Palfreman said she was delighted with her new hip.

Before the hip replacement I was in excruciating pain and couldn’t walk. Now I’m getting around so much better. It’s given me a new lease of life

“It’s amazing. I really didn’t think at my age they would do the operation, but I’m so pleased they did,” she said.

“Before the hip replacement I was in excruciating pain and couldn’t walk. Now I’m getting around so much better. It’s given me a new lease of life.”

It has only been a few weeks since the operation but she is now walking, pain free, with the help of a frame and is improving her fitness by walking up and down the long corridor in the flats where she lives.

Mr Bolland said: “Mrs Palfreman is testimony indeed that age alone should not be a discriminator to surgery.

“I am delighted for her that her surgery and post-operative recovery went so smoothly.

“It is wonderful that she is now pain free and feels that she has a better quality of life – she is a delight to look after and I wish her many more years with her new lease of life.”

Sarah Porter, private patients business manager at Parkside, said: “Age should not be used as a barrier to surgery, if the patient is fit enough. And we considered Joy certainly was.”

Mrs Palfreman’s son David said: “Mum chose to have the operation privately because she developed severe pain quite suddenly and just wanted the operation done quickly.

“That’s why we chose to go to Parkside in Taunton.

“She has been utterly amazing throughout this whole process. We can’t speak highly enough of the care mum received at Parkside. It is wonderful now to see her walking, free from pain.”

Parkside at Musgrove is part of the Somerset NHS Foundation Trust and while private patients pay for their treatment, which takes place out of hours, all profits go straight back into the NHS, benefiting the hospital and the patient.

Mrs Palfreman is not the oldest person in the UK to have hip surgery.

That distinction went to former concert pianist Gladys Hooper, who was 112 when she underwent surgery in 2015.