A TRIO of surgeons from Basingstoke have been commended at a prestigious awards ceremony.

Consultant orthopaedic surgeons John Britton, Geoff Stranks and Kevin Conn were recognised at the Independent Healthcare Awards, in London, for speeding up the recovery of hip replacement patients.

The surgeons, who work at Basingstoke hospital and the private BMI The Hampshire Clinic, in Old Basing, had been nominated for the Health Outcomes Award, which recognises strides in patient recovery.

While the team lost out to the critical care team of the Wellington Hospital, in London, who won first prize for their improvements in patient survival, the Basingstoke trio were commended for their Rapid Recovery Hip Programme, which reduced time spent recovering in hospital from 10 days to three to four days.

Mr Britton said: “This lessens the risks of complications associated with prolonged hospital stay and improves patients’ sense of well-being.”

An audit of patients who underwent the programme over the last year shows a zero rate in complications.

Mr Britton said: “We have optimised surgery by using minimally invasive techniques and use the most modern hip implants.”

He added that making sure patients are clued up on what to expect, exercises and how to use crutches also aids their speedy recovery.