Commenting on fracture liaison services, professor David Marsh, clinical lead for Fracture Liaison Services, said:
Following the success of the National Hip Fracture Database (NHFD), we are hoping to build on this by extending the help provided to patients when they have broken a bone.
If a patient breaks a bone through a slip or a fall they should be offered screening for osteoporosis. If they have osteoporosis they should then be offered bone protection medicine. If the fracture was caused by a fall the causes of the fall should be investigated and steps taken to reduce the risk of falling again. By taking these steps of screening, bone protection medicine and investigation to help reduce the risk of falls the chances of breaking another bone can be reduced.
A Fracture Liaison Service (FLS) provides assessment and treatment for osteoporosis and falls as a joined up service. This can be provided by the GP or in hospital.
Currently, the Royal College of Physicians’ (RCP) Falls and Fragility Fracture Audit Programme (FFFAP) is in the early stages of working with Royal College of Surgeons, Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) and National Osteoporosis Society to explore what a national database of fracture liaison services might look like.
Visit the RCP web pages to find out more about this work on the FLS database.
For further information, please contact Hannah Bristow, Clinical Standards communications officer, on 020 3075 1447 / 07584 303 784 or email Hannah.Bristow@rcplondon.ac.uk