NHS fracture service helps support extra 1,000 patients

The Fracture Liaison Service (FLS) has been introduced at NHS Trusts in Reading, Oxford, and Buckinghamshire, and will soon launch in Frimley.

The service works by proactively identifying patients at risk after a fracture, assessing their osteoporosis risk, and providing ongoing support and treatment.

Steve McManus, Chief Executive Officer of the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust and Acute Provider Collaborative, said: “We know that for people with osteoporosis that intervening early can make a huge difference to their outcomes, especially in the longer term.

“The nurse-led service now in place in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, and Oxford means we can spot people with the condition earlier, and get them the treatment and support they need – reducing the risk of it escalating into a more serious presentation – for example a hip fracture, with all the implications that can come with that.”

In just over a year, the service has identified and supported an extra 1,000 patients, resulting in estimated savings of £1.5 million across the Thames Valley region and nearly 2,000 hospital bed days avoided.

The Royal Osteoporosis Society worked out that in the single 12-month period they looked at, 200 potential future fractures have also been avoided.

The scheme was driven by the Acute Provider Collaborative, set up in 2023 to unite the efforts of several NHS trusts in the region, including Buckinghamshire Healthcare, Oxford University Hospitals, Royal Berkshire, and Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust.

The collaborative aims to implement shared best practices across the region to improve patient care.

Bobby Ancil, Head of Health Services Development at the Royal Osteoporosis Society said, “This investment in Fracture Liaison Services should be recognised and sustained as a model of excellent practice.

“Fracture Liaison Services are the gold standard for secondary fracture prevention, and evidence shows that well-resourced services reduce re fracture risk by up to 40 per cent while improving patient outcomes and driving long term system savings.

“Ongoing support and development of these services will be vital to improving bone health outcomes across the region.”

FLS teams proactively identify people who have suffered fractures, assess osteoporosis risk, and arrange DEXA scans to confirm diagnosis.

Patients diagnosed with osteoporosis are supported with treatment and follow-up care for up to 12 months.

Professor Kassim Javaid, Honorary Adult Rheumatology Consultant, Oxford University Hospitals Foundation Trust, and Clinical Lead for the project said: “It has been inspiring seeing the nurse leadership develop and drive the Fracture Liaison Service delivery so no adult with a recent fracture is left behind.”