CSP consults on new standards for hip fracture

^{A third of patients do not get out of bed the day after hip surgery, the Hip Sprint audit found}

The work follows the Hip Sprint audit undertaken last year with the Royal College of Physicians which showed a wide variation in the quality of physiotherapy care across England.

Nearly a third of patients did not get out of bed the day after their surgery, it revealed.

One in 10 patients had no follow up care after leaving hospital and only one in five services maintain continuity of care between acute and community settings, the audit showed.

The proposed new standards also set out that a physiotherapist assesses patients within 24 hours of a hip fracture operation. The aim is to help patients out of hospital beds and enable early mobilisation.

At least two hours

All patients should receive at least two hours of rehabilitation every week, wherever they were on the journey to recovery, under the new standards.

Pip White, CSP professional adviser with the Hip Sprint project said: 'We are aware that many services are experiencing staffing and resource pressures.

'We hope that by using these evidence-based standards, members will be able to identify priority areas for development, and work with commissioners and service managers to improve the levels of hip fracture rehabilitation experienced by many patients.'

Patient perspective

Iona Price whose late mother faced a long wait for community rehabilitation after fracturing her hip, welcomed the proposed standards.

‘It is unacceptable that patients recovering from a hip fracture can experience such a wide variation in the quality of their rehabilitation, depending on location or where they move to from the acute unit,’ she said.

The closing date for comments is 22 June.

How to engage, a copy of the standards and other materials