Age UK has compiled a survey from the National Hip Fracture Database which 90% of hospitals contribute to. It claims that this shows that one in five elderly persons with a hip fracture is not being operated on soon enough. This is reported by BBC Health.
Overall it shows that standards for treating hip fracture are improving although there are still concerns around future falls prevention, specialist care units and the correct drugs.
A very large number of broken hips occur each year, with 76,000 recorded on the database, with costs to the NHS of £1.4 billion. This cost of healing broken bones increases greatly when the continuing care costs for home adaptations, care packages, residential and nursing home care is considered.
The Age UK survey found that 80% of patients had been operated on within 48 hours of admission which is the time range recommended for intervention to prevent serious complications such as pressure sores, respiratory problems and immobility.
30% of patients did not have a falls assessment, which is recommended to prescribe exercises, balance work and home alterations. London physiotherapists are closely involved in the assessment and treatment of falls related problems, but are unable to fully work with these problems due to the amount of competing work.
25% of the patients also did not have as assessment whether they required drug treament for osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a significant factor in leg fractures such as the neck of femur, the technical name for a broken hip, and most common by far in elderly people.
Major NHS hospitals suffer a major workload from fractured neck of femur, with significant input from emergency departments and surgeons initially, followed by skilled nursing care and experienced physiotherapy care. |
