A BONE fracture team has won national recognition for its work to improve patient care for the elderly.

Services to prevent Darlington people suffering broken bones, and treating them when they have, are among the best in the country thanks to an overhaul of the treatment system.

The year-long review was prompted by the Fractured Neck of Femur Strategy, an initiative to improve care run by the National Health Service Modernisation Agency.

More than 120 people break their hips in falls in Darlington every year, at a cost to the National Health Service of more than £2.5m.

About 20 per cent of people die from complications after a fall, while 50 per cent never achieve the same level of independence.

Darlington Primary Care Trust became so concerned about the problem that it appointed osteoporosis specialist nurse Sue Jackson to study the issue.

For the past 12 months she has been an integral part of an orthopaedic team that has just been identified as the best out of 27 trusts for improving services.

"Previously the health service has concentrated on treating broken bones without assessing why they are breaking in the first place," she said.

"Now we have adopted a more joined-up approach to the problem and I'm very pleased to get this level of recognition for the work that has gone into this."

The Fractured Neck of Femur Team comprised orthopaedic surgeons, consultants, sisters, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, anaesthetists and older persons' project staff.

The team also received recognition for its work from the hospital trust in the form of a chairman's quality award.