Wide variations in the standards of care given to patients with hip fracture in the United Kingdom persist, despite considerable progress over the past couple of years, suggests the largest audit of its kind, published on 2 September.

A substantial proportion of patients still face lengthy delays before surgery, do not receive appropriate assessment, and miss out on preventive treatment, show the 2010 figures from the national hip fracture database—a collaboration between the British Orthopaedic Association and the British Geriatrics Society.

Every year in the UK there are around 76 000 cases of broken hip at an annual cost to the NHS—excluding social care—of around £1.4bn (€1.7bn; $2.17bn).

The data, which were submitted voluntarily by 129 out of 193 eligible hospitals in England, Wales, Northern …