If you have a hip surgery appointment in your diary, it is good to know what the procedure will entail.

To this end, University Hospitals Dorset (UHD) has planned its first virtual Understanding Health Talk for 2021 to help prepare patients who are waiting for surgery.

Professor Robert Middleton, one of the leading hip surgeons in the UK, will give advice and tips on how patients can help themselves to be as fit as possible prior to their operation or procedure and explain why it’s so important to take care of ourselves post lockdown.

The presentation will also include advice on preparation for surgery as well as an explanation of a technique that can relieve the pain and stiffness relating to hip arthritis without resorting to drugs or surgical interventions. His research was initiated by coping with his own hip pain.

He said: “I know a lot of patients have been having to wait for their appointments and procedures because of the Covid-19 pandemic. My talk will focus on how these patients can get themselves into the best possible shape in advance of their appointments and also highlight my own speciality where in some cases exercise has meant that surgery has been avoided all together.”

The event will run via Microsoft Teams and is due to take place on Tuesday 15 June from 5-6pm. It’s open to everyone and the link to the event can be found at www.uhd.nhs.uk/news/events. There is no need to book, simply click on the Teams link at 5pm on the day.