Outstanding results for hip fracture care at Horton General Hospital

The hip fracture team at the Horton General Hospital – part of Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust – is once again celebrating national recognition for delivering some of the best patient outcomes in the UK, according to the latest National Hip Fracture Database (NHFD) Annual Report.

The report, which covers data from January to December 2025 and includes contributions from 174 hospitals across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, highlights the Horton team’s exceptional and consistent performance across a range of key indicators.

For the fourteenth consecutive year, the Horton General Hospital has ranked in the top ten hospitals nationally for achieving the Best Practice Tariff (BPT) – a quality-based benchmark for hip fracture care. In 2025, 82.6% of Horton’s hip fracture patients met all BPT criteria, significantly higher than the national average of 47.3%.

The hospital’s 30-day adjusted mortality rate continues to be better than the national average – 5.1% compared to the national nearly 6% – reflecting high-quality, timely, and effective care.

Patients at Horton also benefit from shorter hospital stays, with an average length of stay of 16 days (national average 20.1 days). Additionally, 75.9% of patients were discharged from hospital within 120 days, exceeding the national rate of 74.9%.

The Horton team performed strongly across several additional categories, including:

• Patients admitted to a trauma ward within four hours of presentation – 44% (national: 89.2%)

• Surgery by the day after admission – 87.7% (national: 56.7%)

• Received bone-strengthening treatment – 84.8% (national: 61%)

• Surgery led by a Consultant Surgeon and Anaesthetist - 91% (national: 53.8%)

• No reoperation within 120 days in 95.4% of cases (national: 41.7%)

The Horton General Hospital’s team deals with a significant number of patients with hip fractures – almost 50% of the patients coming to OUH overall.

While mobilisation on the day after surgery remains slightly below the national average (76.4% vs 82.1%), the team is committed to early recovery and rehabilitation.

Sam Anand, Clinical Lead for Trauma at the Horton General Hospital, said: “These outstanding results are a testament to the hard work, dedication, and close collaboration of our multidisciplinary team – from Emergency Department staff and orthopaedic surgeons to geriatricians, anaesthetists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and ward nurses.

“We are proud to deliver care that consistently places us among the very best in the country, and very thankful for our staff who make this happen year after year.”

Felicity Taylor-Drewe, Chief Operating Officer at OUH, said: “Once again, the Horton General Hospital hip fracture team has demonstrated what can be achieved through a patient-centred, team-based approach – they know what works and are committed to delivering it time after time. These results reflect this, as well as their extremely high levels of care for some of our most vulnerable patients.”

The full NHFD Annual Report 2026 is available on the National Hip Fracture Database website.