A recent report from the British Orthopaedic Association concludes that there is an increased rate of patients requiring an admission to residential care, after hip fracture and replacement due to insufficient Physiotherapy and rehab.

The document is a follow-up to a 2012 report, (“Getting it right first time”), by Professor Timothy Briggs. The latest report, like the first, also looks at orthopaedic services across England.

It says that of all the hip fracture patients treated by NHS trusts, half never return to their former levels of mobility and independence. Many of these people will no longer be able to live at home, therefore requiring long term residential care.

The CSP sets out a number of recommendations in the report. These include:

Providing more intense rehab in hospitals immediately after hip fracture and total knee replace surgery, focusing not just on improving mobility, but on strength, balance and endurance
Using properly-funded and designed seven-day services to ensure both the frequency and quality of care remains constant across the whole week
Ensuring patients continue their rehab, without a break, once they are discharged from the acute sector

Karen Middleton, the CSP chief executive, said that without rehab, surgery is unlikely to be a success for many patients undergoing hip and knee replacement surgery.