Two hip replacements
BMJ 2010; 340 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.c1502 (Published 29 April 2010) Cite this as: BMJ 2010;340:c1502
All rapid responses
Dear Sir
We were very interested to read about the personal experiences of Dr.
Pat Tomlinson in the BMJ [7th August] and her personal experience of a
significant improvement in the peri-operational care of hip replacement
surgery.
We have also followed the vast improvement in the care of orthopaedic
patients. 2010 will be the seventh year that the Lord Mayor Treloar and
Gauvain Orthopaedic Nursing Memorial Book Prize has been awarded to an
outstanding orthopaedic nurse in the South East area.
They are nominated by their consultants and the book prize has been
presented at either an annual meetings of the RCN or at a special meeting
of the relevant Hospital Management Board.
The appointing committee have been enormously impressed by the huge
progress in medical care that has happened in the last decade or so
particularly as senior nurses, who remain in post for a long time, are
been given encouragement and freedom to innovate comprehensive models of
care such as described by Geoffrey Stranks. This trend has accelerated an
important change in care and a reduction in post-operative morbidity and
hospitalisation since this wonderful operation began to relieve patients
of a painful, crippling and life-long disease.
Outstanding nurses have come from The North Hants Hospital
Basingstoke and Southampton General Hospital (twice), Royal County
Hospital Winchester, Queen Alexandra Hospital, Cosham, and St Mary’s
Newport I o W.
This annual prize is a tribute to the memory of pioneering work done
at a dedicated orthopaedic hospital in Alton by a Lord Mayor of London
over 100 years ago and his brilliant orthopaedic superintendant physician.
Every year we also support WOC (World Orthopaedic Concern) financially to
send a registrar to work in Africa, operating on the sort of severe
orthopaedic problems that were so common in England a century ago.
Yours sincerely
Delia Thomas & Chris Everett [for the committee]
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests
Something for GPs to commission
What a clear illustration of the fact that joint replacement surgery,
however good, isn't the beginning or the end of the treatment, but the
middle! What happens before and after an operation makes a huge difference
to the outcome. The essentials are all consultants adopting the same
policy, an informed patient, a multidisciplinary approach, and patients
having a post-discharge point of contact with someone who knows them. Plus
enthusiasm. That is a virtuous circle, as staff enjoy the appreciation of
patients who are benefitting from the programme.
Why is this not done everywhere? And for all standard procedures?
Where is the obstacle to implementing such programmes?
GPs are about to take on the burden of commissioning. This is just
the sort of change in practice which they can use their power to
introduce.
Competing interests:
I expect to need a hip replacement some day, and I know how I hope to be cared for!
Competing interests: No competing interests