Coventry cerebral palsy pathway reduces hip dislocations by 66%

Coventry cerebral palsy pathway cuts new hip dislocations by two-thirds

A decade-long integrated NHS pathway in Coventry is supporting 172 children with cerebral palsy and has reduced new hip dislocations by 66 per cent.

Illustrative image accompanying the Coventry cerebral palsy integrated care report Image: iStock, via National Health ExecutiveOriginal source

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An NHS in Coventry has reported a sharp fall in serious hip complications among children and young people with cerebral palsy after bringing specialist care into a single coordinated pathway.

The Coventry Cerebral Palsy Integrated Pathway has operated since 2016 and now supports 172 children, around 95 per cent of young people in the city with cerebral palsy. Community paediatrics, orthopaedics and children’s physiotherapy teams work together so families can receive coordinated assessments and agree plans without attending a string of separate appointments.

According to the two NHS trusts involved, new cases of hip dislocation have fallen by 66 per cent since the pathway began, while overall is now around one per cent. Earlier identification of problems can help children avoid pain, more complex surgery and longer-term complications.

The organisations that lower dislocation may have prevented at least eight major operations in the current cohort, based on NHS England cost estimates, alongside the more important benefit of avoiding invasive treatment for children and families.