'Unacceptable' wait for elderly hip operations

The Royal College of Surgeons said that there was a postcode lottery in access to hip surgery.

In a report published on Thursday, the college found that, while some hospitals managed to get 95 per cent or more patients through surgery within two days, others only managed about 55 per cent.

Not enough staff, waiting for space on an operating theatre list and waiting for beds were all cited in the audit report as some of the reasons for the delay.

The audit covers 129 hospitals in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands.

Health union Unison warned that the big improvements in care were being jeopardised by the Con-Dem coalition's cuts agenda.

A spokeswoman said: "The coalition government's plans for the NHS and their cuts agenda will put that improvement at risk and increase the chances of more patients in more areas having to wait in pain for too long."

The audit also showed that access to bone-strengthening medication and assessment for further falls also varied widely, from zero in some hospitals to 100 per cent in others.

Age UK charity director Michelle Mitchell said: "Falls represent the most frequent and serious type of accident in the over-65s.

"People who have suffered a fall are at the highest risk of falling again, so it is absolutely essential this group gets access to high-quality falls prevention and appropriate care wherever they live."