PATIENTS IN Worcestershire who need physiotherapy at home after recovering from in injury, illness such as a stroke or operation, on average, have to wait around five weeks for the service.

Physiotherapy is an important part of medical services to help people regain mobility and independence after illnesses such as a stroke, injuries such as a fall resulting in a broken hip or other surgery.

Some hip fracture patients have to wait up to 80 days (more than 11 weeks) for physiotherapy at home after being discharged from hospital in some areas of the country, according to the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP).

Broken hips affect one in three women aged over 50 and is more prevalent than breast cancer. It is the most common cause of injury related to death in adults, says the society.

The Royal College of Physicians conducted an audit for the CSP which revealed that the average wait for hip fracture patients to receive community physiotherapy was 15 days but some were left waiting for up to 80 days.

It also discovered the amount of rehabilitation patients received varied greatly with some people getting less the one hour per week.

NICE guidelines state after surgery, hip fracture patients should be offered rehabilitation at least once a day. The survey revealed four out of 10 (43 per cent) missed a day’s therapy due to no physios being available.

Professor Karen Middleton, chief executive of the CSP, said: “Hip fracture patients who do not receive rehab soon after leaving hospital risk depression, deteriorating health, and losing their mobility.

“This can bring not only further costs and pressures for the system, but more importantly, devastating consequences for the individual and their families.

“High quality and intensive rehab in the first week after surgery gives hip fracture patients the best chance of recovery, and at least 20 minutes of therapy a day could free up 1000 hospital beds a year.

“We must invest in transforming acute and community services to ensure access to high quality rehab and continuous care for all those who need it.”

The CSP are working with patient groups and other professions to draw up best practise guidance for the rehabilitation of people with hip fracture in the UK.

A spokesman for the Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust which runs the local community hospitals and domiciliary physiotherapy, said: “There are a range of physio services which help regain mobility and independence following injury, surgery or a major illness such as a stroke.

“Each case will be different but, for example, if a patient has suffered a hip fracture they may be admitted to a community hospital following discharge from the acute hospital and have further physiotherapy and rehabilitation within the community hospital during their stay.

“Alternatively the patients may be discharged home supported by the enhanced care or urgent promoting independence teams who will also provide physiotherapy and rehabilitation.

“Following discharge from these services, if the patient has ongoing physiotherapy needs they can continue to access physiotherapy from one of our community based teams which provide care and treatment at home, with the average wait approximately 5 weeks. However each case is prioritised based on the person’s clinical need and individual circumstances.”