Patients with hip and knee replacements took part in a trial which could avoid them having to travel to Larbert for face-to-face clinic appointments.

It involves local staff checking patients’ progress by telephone and, if there are no particular problems, asking them to attend a routine X-ray within the next three weeks at a time convenient to them.

The new pilot service aimed to free up consultant time to see new and urgent cases and avoiding patients having to travel to hospital for clinic appointments.