THE Royal United Hospital in Bath says hip patients are receiving improved care after a new hip fracture unit opened.

A team of geriatric medicine specialists are working alongside the orthopaedic surgeons to provide care on the 20-bed unit.

The hospital says the new arrangements will ensure patients are operated on more quickly after admission, reduce the amount of time they need to stay in hospital and provide a dedicated slot for a doctor to talk to patients’ relatives about care.

Consultant geriatrician Katrina Hicks said: “Around ten patients per week come to the RUH having suffered a fractured hip and some of these patients are among the most elderly and frailest of the patients we admit.

“There is clear evidence that patients who are cared for jointly by geriatric and orthopaedic teams recover better, because we are able to treat other medical conditions patients may have at the same time and consider issues with their rehabilitation.”

One of the hospital’s main priorities this year is to improve the quality of care received by these patients.