POOLE Hospital has been named as one of the best in the country for hip fracture care.

The hospital consistently has the lowest mortality rates and shortest lengths of stay for patients with broken hips in Britain.

Almost 100 per cent of hip fracture patients are reviewed by a senior orthogeriatrician within 72 hours of admission. 90 per cent of these are seen in the first 24 hours.

The average time patients with a broken hip spend at Poole Hospital is 14.9 days, compared to the national average of 21.6 days.

The hospital cares for the most hip fractures in the country, with nearly 1,000 patients seen each year.

The latest figures were published in this year’s National Hip Fracture Audit which compares the performance of 177 hospitals in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Poole Hospital’s low mortality figures were highlighted in the report.

Many of the patients who visit the hospital for hip fracture care are elderly and have other underlying medical problems that often need to be addressed before a major operation can take place.

The hospital says its performance is down to initiatives including ensuring patients are seen and assessed as soon as possible following their admission by a senior doctor who cares for the patient throughout their stay, regardless of the day they are admitted.

Dr Nick Perry, consultant physician, added: "Our performance is a credit to all of the staff involved, including doctors, nurses and therapists and reflects the hard work and dedication of every member of the team.

“It’s important that patients leave hospital and return to independence in a timely way – we know that patients, particularly the elderly, can deteriorate while in hospital."

“Surgical care is of course a vital component of the care older trauma patients receive, but with the focused support of consultants who specialise in medicine for the elderly, we can achieve the very best outcomes possible.

"Importantly, the service isn’t just confined to those people suffering from a broken hip - all of the older patients in the hospital with other types of fracture are seen by the orthogeriatric team, a service very few if any other hospitals in the country provide."