The Fracture Liaison Service Database: Commissioner's report 2019 provides clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) with a summary of the audit’s national key findings, recommendations and results for fracture liaison services (FLSs) within their locality.
The report also explains what an FLS is and how FLSs could help CCGs not only to reduce the number and cost of unplanned admissions but make a significant reduction in morbidity and mortality for older people.
Key recommendations
We recommend that all CCGs find out what secondary fracture prevention services are available in their area.
If you do commission an FLS you should:
- align the key performance indicators (KPIs) for your FLS(s) with the KPIs that are detailed in this report, to reduce duplication and improve transparency
- review the FLS’s performance and identify areas for improvement
- identify your local priorities and how secondary fracture prevention fits within this.
If you do not commission an FLS you should:
- identify and engage with your local clinical champions, and the Royal Osteoporosis Society (fls@theros.org.uk), to co-develop a business case for commissioning a sustainable and effective FLS to prevent further avoidable fractures for their local patients.
The challenge
An estimated 500,000 fragility fractures occur in the UK each year – more than three times the annual number of strokes. Any such fracture approximately doubles the risk of another, most likely to occur in the following two years. Fortunately, thousands of these cases could be avoided if more patients were to undergo rapid assessment and timely treatment post-fracture.
The solution: fracture liaison services
An FLS aims to reduce the risk of subsequent fractures by systematically identifying, treating and referring all eligible patients aged 50 and over who have suffered a fragility fracture to appropriate services.
An FLS is a proven approach, recommended by the Department of Health, for targeting these high-risk groups and improving secondary fracture prevention.