Total hip replacement: not just for Christmas

The decision to offer joint replacement surgery should be viewed as entering into a long‐term relationship rather than a brief encounter. The rise of consumerism allied to the expansion of general practitioner fund‐holding and implementation of the ‘Patients' Charter’ has resulted in increased pressures on outpatient clinics, and the interface between primary and secondary care is central to the development of the NHS. The NHS reforms have produced guidelines on waiting times for outpatient attendances and operations, with the emphasis on a consultant‐based service. There are, however, no such guidelines for postoperative follow‐up.