The NHFD have released a booklet to support patients undergoing hip fracture treatment: My Hip Fracture Care: 12 Questions to ask - A guide for patients, their families and carers. The questions cover essential aspects of hip fracture care, and is designed to help patients, families and carers understand what is likely to happen while the patient is in hospital and after they are discharged. The questions cover aspects of care such as pain relief, memory problems, the seniority and kinds of doctor that should be involved in care, how soon an operation should take place, and rehabilitation following surgery. The booklet also includes the relevant statistics from the National Hip Fracture Database annual report for each question. The booklet describes what a hip fracture is, why it happens and how it will be treated. It includes a list of 12 questions patients should consider asking the team looking after them, based on the essential elements of high quality hip fracture care.

Mr Rob Wakeman, NHFD clinical lead, orthopaedic surgery, said of the booklet:

‘Patients who have not had a hip fracture before, and families and carers who have not supported someone through this injury, need the best possible advice on what the process entails and what care patient should receive. By using the booklet to encourage questions about their care, we hope that we will improve understanding of the patient journey. We know what the best care looks like – patients deserve it, and asking questions will encourage hospitals to provide that high quality care.’

The report can be downloaded or you can request hard copies by sending your address by email to: nhfd@rcplondon.ac.uk

My Hip Fracture Care v2 160215.pdf

Patient report local statistics
The NHFD annual report includes the national statistics for each of the 12 questions patients are encouraged to ask. During discussion with patients it may be helpful to have the relevant local statistics to hand as well. This is a short guide on where to find those figures in the annual report and on the NHFD website.

NHFD patient report local statistics booket.pdf