Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary leads the nation in caring for hip fractures, and today the hospital scooped up a national award in recognition.
The Public Health Scotland (PHS) annual Scottish Hip Fracture Audit tracks the treatment of hip fractures in hospitals across the country, looking at how often they occur, how well they are treated, and what the eventual outcome is for each patient.
Each year, based on the audit’s findings, PHS recognises the best hospital in Scotland for care and treatment of hip fractures with the Golden Hip award – this year the award goes to DGRI.
The award was presented by Karen Adam, NHS Scotland national clinical lead on hip fracture.
NHS Dumfries and Galloway Medical Director Dr Ken Donaldson said: “This award is a tremendous honour, and a very welcome recognition of the good work done across our hospital and health care system for hip fracture patients.
“For older people, especially, it can be very easy to break a hip – even a minor fall at home or in the street can cause hip fracture. And the consequences can be very severe. As well as the pain and loss of mobility, it can require surgery to repair, which carries its own risks. And after surgery there can be further complications, which can delay recovery – and that means further loss of mobility, with the patient potentially becoming frail and susceptible to other illnesses and injuries.
“That is why it is so important to provide the highest standard of care for hip fracture patients – from the paramedics who see them first, to the treatment they receive in the Emergency Department and in the wards, and the further care and rehabilitation they get after treatment.
“This award is for everyone involved in delivering and supporting care at every stage of that journey. It’s a great compliment to all of them, and we will keep working on improving the standard of care still further in 2026.”
Karen Adam said: “Congratulations to the winning team of the Golden Hip Award. Their outstanding teamwork and commitment to improving patient outcomes truly exemplify excellence in our field.
“This year’s Golden Hip Award celebrates a team that continues to push the boundaries of quality, safety, and collaborative care. Their achievement is a testament to their passion and professionalism.
“We applaud the Golden Hip Award winners for their remarkable contribution to trauma and orthopaedics. Their hard work and impact on patient care shine brightly across our service.”
More than 8,000 people over 50 years old fracture a hip every year in Scotland. It is the commonest serious orthopaedic condition among older people, and can have very serious consequences – complications include infections, blood clots and pneumonia.
The full findings of the Scottish Hip Fracture Audit 2025 will be published in August.