Patients at West Suffolk Hospital are receiving some of the best hip fracture care in the country, new data shows.

Data compiled by the National Hip Fracture Database puts the Bury St Edmunds hospital as the top hospital in England, Wales and Northern Ireland for meeting best practice criteria when assessing patients with a hip fracture.

Hip fractures are cracks or breaks in the top of the thigh bone (femur) close to the hip joint. They are usually caused by a fall or an injury to the side of the hip, and are one of the most common serious injuries for older people.

The hospital achieved the top rank by being marked on a wide array of criteria including achieving 100% scores on providing nutritional risk assessments and mental test scores for patients when they were admitted. All patients also received a physiotherapist assessment the day after surgery was complete.

Overall, the hospital achieved a 94.3% score, compared to a national average of 54.9%.

Dr Konrad Wronka, hip fracture lead consultant at the hospital, said: “Sometimes our elderly patients are very frail when they come to us, so rapid decisions about care and action are very important to help them regain mobility and a good quality of independence. Initial assessment, prompt and timely surgery and post-operative rehabilitation are key in achieving good outcome for those patients.

“In Suffolk, like throughout the whole country, we have an ageing population. We see a lot of older patients with hip fractures and using the criteria set by the National Hip Fracture Database as a way to measure our effectiveness ensures we continuously aim to improve our patients’ outcomes.

“Our team is made up of specialists including doctors, nurses, trauma practioners and rehabilitation specialists. Having a progressive team ensures the patient is identified as soon as they attend the emergency department and they are looked after before, during and after surgery.”

West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust chief executive Steve Dunn said: “I am incredibly proud of our team for working at such a high standard to deliver safe, quality care for patients who come to us with hip fractures.

“Fractures like these can be very scary for the patient so it’s brilliant for the residents of west Suffolk to know that they are in good care if they have to come into our hospital for treatment.”