Clinical Standards for Fracture Liaison Services (FLS)

 
FLS is recognised as the best practice model for preventing recurrent fractures. The FLS Clinical Standards set out, for the first time, the core standards that every FLS should meet to ensure patients are identified, investigated, informed and where appropriate receive interventions which are integrated with primary care and are supported by a framework of quality – the 5IQ approach.
 
The Standards were developed by an expert authoring group, led by the Royal Osteoporosis Society and have been endorsed by 9 major professional bodies including the following FFA members: British Geriatric Society, British Orthopaedic Association, British Society for Rheumatology, Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, Royal College of Physicians and Royal Pharmaceutical Society.
 
 
 
This online training course aims to enable Fracture Prevention Practitioners (FPPs) to deliver excellent health care using nationally agreed best practice standards to people with or at risk of osteoporosis and fragility fractures throughout the UK. This is the only course of its kind that provides the underpinning knowledge required to deliver best practice; competencies are being developed to provide assurance of this.
 
The course has been developed by leading experts in the field of osteoporosis and has been reviewed by a number of leading practitioners across the UK. In addition, it has been reviewed by clinical experts affiliated to the Royal Osteoporosis Society.
 
The training itself is open-access, although there is a £50 charge to take the final assessment and secure accredited certification.
 
 
The toolkit has been developed with support from professional and public bodies, to support commissioners and health professionals improve the care they provide to people with osteoporosis and fragility fractures.
 
The toolkit contains a suite of fully editable templates that take some of the hard work out of establishing a new Fracture Liaison Service or developing an existing one.

The key to the Alliance’s success would be to focus on those declaration statements that were most closely allied to the Outcomes Frameworks and NICE Guidelines. A strong health promotion message and focus on the Public Health agenda. The work  of the Health and Wellbeing Boards would have real potential for the care of the frail and elderly.

Age UK guidance

Age UK have just published a new 'expert series guide' on falls prevention exercise which aims to distil the evidence and show how it can be put into practice. You may find this of interest and can find it here.

College of Occupational Therapy Falls Guideline has been launched. Many thanks to Lisa Field, Consultant Radiographer, The Mid Yorkshire NHS Trust for contributing to the guidance which is available here https://www.rcot.co.uk/practice-resources/rcot-practice-guidelines/falls.