A survey of NHS support for patients before hip or knee replacement
Theme Surgical and orthopaedic innovation
Workstream Interventions to improve patient outcomes after surgery
Status: This project is complete
As of April 2023, over 40 per cent of people on NHS waiting lists (a record 3.1 million patients) have been waiting for elective hospital treatment for more than 18 weeks. Hip and knee replacement surgeries have the highest waiting times, with some patients waiting up to two years.
Finding out what services are offered to patients by hospitals can help identify gaps in service provision and inform what research needs to be done.
Project aims
During this project our aim is to:
- Build a clear picture of current services available to patients on the waiting list for joint replacement
- Identify priority areas for future research
What did we do?
We undertook a national survey of hospitals to understand what education and prehab exercises are offered to patients waiting for hip and knee replacement surgery.
What did we find?
Pre-operative education is offered by most hospitals in a single face-to-face session or booklet format. Around half of hospitals offered pre-operative exercise.
Suggestions for improving services included providing joint schools and a more comprehensive prehab service to all patients waiting for hip or knee replacement.
Limitations to providing services include funding, staffing, facilities and a lack of awareness or evidence on how to best deliver services.
What next?
Our work identified the need for future research to design and evaluate education and exercise interventions for people waiting for hip and knee replacement surgery.
