HIP fractures at a Worcester hospital had been causing more deaths than expected but NHS bosses say death rates are now falling.

Both Worcestershire Royal Hospital and the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch had seen a rise in mortality as a result of broken hips last year but this has now been reduced after NHS bosses made quicker treatment for these patients a priority.

Mortality is measured by the hospital standardised mortality ratio – the ratio of observed to expected deaths with 100 taken as the average across NHS hospitals.

The figure for hip fractures at Worcester was 123 between January and November last year and 137 at Redditch over the same period, a rise from the previous year when the figure was 105 for Worcester and 128 for Redditch (2015).

‘Expected deaths’ at Worcester were 28 in 2016 but there were 35 deaths, more than anticipated.

A recent report delivered at the annual general meeting at the Charles Hastings Education Centre in Worcester said an improvement plan had been put in place for 2016/17.

This resulted in 60 per cent of patients who had suffered a hip fracture reaching theatre for surgery within 36 hours of admission, below the target of 85 per cent. However, the trust is now hitting the target after working to improve performance.

The report said: “The target is set at this level to allow for patients who are admitted for hip surgery but not fit enough to undergo a procedure within 36 hours.

"The orthopaedic department has reviewed its pathway and plans for patients with a fractured hip and early signs show that performance is increasingly progressing towards target.

"This priority is carried forward to the trust’s plans for 2017/18.

“Evidence demonstrates that earlier surgery is associated with better outcomes, lower rates of complication and mortality.”

The trust's chief medical officer, Dr Suneil Kapadia, said: “We’ve seen a gradual reduction in the trust’s mortality rates for patients who have been admitted as an emergency with a fractured hip since its peak in December 2016.

"The most recent recorded level represents a fall to 8.5 per cent which is a marked improvement on the rates from late last year, but we recognise the need for further improvement in this area.

“We have made progress after giving a particular focus to a number of areas including; making sure we have dedicated beds for patients having this surgery, making more efficient use of our operating theatres and more regular ward rounds by senior medical staff.

"As a consequence of these actions, we have been able to shorten the time taken for patients to have their hip surgery. The increase in number of patients getting their operation within 36 hours of admission, which is now at 86 per cent, has been a significant factor influencing the reduction in mortality rates."

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust has been in special measures since December 2015. A visit by regulator the Care Quality Commission in November of the following year resulted in the trust receiving a warning notice.

The trust was required to demonstrate ‘significant improvement’ in the quality of healthcare by March 2017. A series of both announced and unannounced visits in April 2017 by the CQC revealed that the trust had not improved to the necessary standard.