Fif th of over 50s with hip fractures die in 6 months

ONE in five people aged over 50 who fracture their hip die within six months, a new report shows.

Every year thousands of Scots – many classed as ‘older’ or ‘elderly’ – are treated for the injury.

The Scottish Government yesterday revealed the figures in a study called Fairer Scotland: Older People Framework, but ministers were criticised for a failure to combat the problem.

The document, published by Equalities Minister Christina McKelvie, aims to tackle discrimination against older people, strengthen their rights and ensure they do not encounter barriers to continue working. It also commits the Scottish Government to move forward with plans for a falls and fracturedence prevention strategy. Miss McKelvie came under fire for a government lack of action – with the death rate for hip fractures unchanged in more than a decade.

Ministers have previously committed themselves to a strategy to help people ‘avoid falling and recover more effectively following a fall’.

Lib Dem health spokesman Alex Cole-Hamilton said: ‘Falls and fractures can lead to people being in hospital for long periods and have devastating implications for their ability to live independently.

‘It has been two years since parliament agreed Scotland needs a national falls strategy and still the Government has failed to deliver.’

The report says ‘20 per cent of older people who sustain a hip fracture die within six months and the cost to the NHS of hip fractures is around £73million per year’. Evishows the victims are more likely to develop complications such as pneumonia. Around 6,000 people suffer hip fractures in Scotland every year – but yesterday the Scottish Government could not provide figures showing how many were older people.

Age Scotland head of policy Adam Stachura said: ‘These figures are a massive cause for concern. While hip fractures can lead to a variety of complications, especially the older and more infirm someone is, we’ve got to get to a place where the risk of death from this type of injury decreases considerably.’

The Scottish Government says officials are ‘currently preparing a falls and fracture strategy’ which will ‘present a series of ambitions and commitments to help people avoid falling and recover more effectively’.

However, little detail of the proposals have been revealed.

Scottish Tory public health spokesman Annie Wells said: ‘Nicola Sturgeon’s government has been in sole charge of health for nearly 12 years – that’s more than enough time to make progress on this particular issue. Instead, the situation remains desperate for elderly people who fracture their hip, and that is completely unacceptable.’

Miss McKelvie published the new report at an ‘Ageing Well’ event in Midlothian yesterday.

She said: ‘Ageing is inevitable but growing older should not mean having to face barriers or discrimination. One of the issues the framework addresses is the negative perceptions surrounding ageing.

‘Older people in our society have much to offer and contribute and we are committed to supporting them.’

‘Government has failed to deliver’