MORE than 70,000 people in the region need assessments for fracture risks, according to a new clinical review.

Doctors in the North-East and North Yorkshire were questioned as part of the survey, which was revealed last night.

The review, which analysed a total of 158,260 patients, was carried out by clinical pharmacists from Interface Clinical Services in partnership with the North-East and Cumbria AHSN.

During the review, Interface pharmacists identified 72,000 patients who needed further assessment for osteoporotic fracture risk, using the Attend2 fracture risk assessment tool.

The review identified more than 2,000 high-risk patients who required an immediate therapy intervention. Only 23 per cent of those high-risk patients were already on a bone-sparing therapy. It is estimated that four years of bone sparing therapy can reduce the risk of hip fracture by 40 per cent.

The review also identified 26 patients who had five or more clinical risk factors for fracture.

Experts said 27 per cent of the patients had already had a hip fracture, and 42 per cent already had a diagnosis of osteoporosis.

A further cohort of patients was recommended for a DEXA scan to measure their bone mineral density (BMD).

Interface estimated that the review resulted in 39 avoided hip fractures, and a direct saving to the NHS of over £600,000.

It is estimated that an osteoporotic fracture to the wrist, hip, or spine occurs in the UK every three seconds. Hip fractures are the most common type of osteoporotic fracture, with approximately 60,000 hip fractures occurring in the UK each year. The cost of hip fractures in the UK is estimated at £2 billion a year. The North-East has the highest rate of emergency admissions for hip fractures of all regions in England.

Professor Oliver James, the medical director for the North East and Cumbria AHSN, said: “This work ... provides a wonderful example of a collaborative way of working in which patients benefit enormously by reducing their risk of hip fracture, while there is a likely large financial saving to the NHS.”We are extending this to benefit patients as widely as possible throughout the North-East and North Cumbria.”

During the review, Interface Clinical pharmacists worked with GPs to identify the relevant patient cohorts to be assessed, and then carried out a detailed medical record review for each patient.

Key patient groups identified for review were: All women aged 65 years and over and all men aged 75 years and over; Women aged under 65 years and men aged under 75 years in the presence of clinical risk factors; People aged under 50 years if they have major risk factors.

The clinical review was fully funded by Kyowa Kirin through an independent medical services grant.