Hospital team 'one of the best of its kind'

The Horton General Hospital is in Banbury, Oxfordshire

An NHS team specialising in the treatment of hip fractures has been recognised as one of the best of its kind across England, Wales and Northern Ireland for the 12th year in a row.

The hip fracture team at the Horton General Hospital, in Banbury, met all of its best practice criteria for nearly 85% of patients, compared to a national average of 48% across every hospital evaluated.

The performance of 174 hospitals across the three nations in 2023 was analysed in the annual National Hip Fracture Audit.

Oxford University Hospitals (OUH) NHS Foundation Trust, which oversees the Horton, said it was "delighted with the news".

Felicity Taylor-Drewe, chief operating officer at OUH, said: "It is wonderful to see over a decade of consistently excellent results from our teams."

She said their patients "truly benefit from such expert and rapid surgery".

"These results are testament to the commitment, care, and compassion shown by the entire team," she added.

The results of the report showed the Horton's team comfortably above the national average for every measured criteria, placing it in the top five across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Things measured in the report include the time it takes for patients to receive assessments, surgery and physiotherapy.

Sam Anand, lead orthopaedic surgeon at the Horton, said: "We always look forward to this annual review of our hip fracture at the Horton because the results consistently show the commitment and expertise of our team.

"Hip fractures are very common, and they're often suffered by elderly or frail people who need quick care."

He said the team was "so pleased" that it could help patients in "such an efficient and effective way, year after year".