New North project to prevent fractures could save NHS £35m

The AHSN NENC are involved in a fracture prevention project along with the other three Northern AHSNs which could see the NHS save £35m.

The innovative new approach to reduce the risk of older people breaking bones could save the NHS over £35 million, across the North of England, if it is fully scaled-out across the region. The project which has been developed and tested by the AHSN NENC and the Innovation Agency (AHSN for the North West Coast) will identify patients at high risk of breaking bones, evaluate medications and treat those patients, where appropriate, with a bone-sparing agent to improve bone density. Scaled up to the population level of the North’s 16 million, this would equal £35,163,642 in direct costs and £8,454,046 in residential costs – a total of £43,617,688 potential savings in health and social care. Now all four AHSNs across the North including Greater Manchester and Yorkshire and Humber are implementing the project.

Sue Hart Health Programme Manager AHSN NENC said:

“In the North East & North Cumbria we have recently completed a large population based, risk factor assessment incorporating almost 600,000 patients.

“Our study identified many opportunities, both simple and large scale to ensure that all patients identified receive the gold standard care recommended by National Guidance. This proposed programme offers the North of England a valuable opportunity to adopt and spread the learning from NENC, enabling the delivery of better patient care and improved cost efficiencies.”

Read the full article

Read more about our work in this area