A service overseen by nurses has enabled an additional 1,000 patients throughout the Thames Valley area to receive assistance as they recover from bone fractures.
The Fracture Liaison Service has been rolled out at NHS Trusts in Reading, Oxford, and Buckinghamshire, with a launch in Frimley scheduled for the near future.
The service operates by actively locating patients who face elevated risk following a fracture, evaluating their likelihood of developing osteoporosis, and delivering continued assistance and medical care.
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.”
Within just over twelve months, the service has identified and assisted a further 1,000 patients, producing projected savings of £1.5 million across the Thames Valley region and preventing nearly 2,000 hospital bed days from being occupied.
The Royal Osteoporosis Society calculated that during the single twelve-month period they examined, 200 potential future fractures were additionally avoided.
The initiative was spearheaded by the Acute Provider Collaborative, established in 2023 to unify the efforts of multiple NHS trusts in the area, comprising Buckinghamshire Healthcare, Oxford University Hospitals, Royal Berkshire, and Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust.
The collaborative seeks to implement shared best practices throughout the region to enhance 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 actively locate individuals who have experienced fractures, evaluate their osteoporosis risk, and organise DEXA scans to confirm a diagnosis.
Patients who receive an osteoporosis diagnosis receive assistance with treatment and follow-up care for as long as twelve 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.