Citation

Skelton DA, McLellan A, Burleigh L, Anderson M, Lee A. Inj. Prev. 2010; 16(Suppl 1): A228.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, BMJ Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1136/ip.2010.029215.812

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Safety 2010 World Injury Conference, London, Abstract: : Background Guidelines on reducing falls/fractures have been published with the aim of reducing the burden both to health services/individuals. Data on hip fractures are collected centrally and through National Hip Fracture Databases. Within Scotlands National Health Service (NHS), Greater Glasgow and Clyde (GGC) health board have had a phased implementation of a falls and bone health strategy since 1998. The NHSGGC community falls prevention programme currently reviews over 180 patients/month in their own home and over 500 patients/month are seen by the Fracture Liaison/Falls Pharmacy services. This study aimed to compare hospital admissions for hip fracture and due to falls in NHSGGC in the period 1998-2008, with data from NHS Scotland and England.

Method Data on admissions were obtained using diagnosis code S72 (Scotland, ISD; England, HES).

Results Between 1998 and 2008 the number of admissions for hip fractures decreased by 3.6%, compared to a rise in Scotland (5.1%) and England (16.2%). Standardising the hip fracture admission rate (number of hip fracture admissions/population of those aged ≤65) still shows a 1.7% reduction in NHSGGC over this period. There has also been a reduction in admissions due to falls in ≤65s (in the home 32%, residential institutions 27%, street/highway 40%).

Conclusion The falls and bone health strategy employed by NHSGGC has had a positive reduction on the number of hip fracture admissions and to a greater extent, the number of admissions due to falls over a decade.