Fragility fracture care

What are fragility fractures

Fragility fractures are breaks in the bone caused by low energy forces such as a fall from a standing height. They are very common, with one in two women and one in five men breaking a bone after the age of 50. A major risk for these fractures is osteoporosis.

Barts Health NHS Trust has developed a network of specialist centres of surgical excellence, with a specialist fragility fracture service now being led from our Whipps Cross University Hospital by a dedicated multidisciplinary team.

Centralising this specialist expertise reduces variability in care and improves outcomes for patients. Together with the multidisciplinary team at Barts Health NHS Trust we are creating a world class centre of excellence for people with fragility fracture.

What does our service include?

• Expert multidisciplinary team working together with a common goal of improving patients’ experience of care and better outcomes.
• Specialist orthogeriatric medical care focused on holistic care and reducing future falls and fracture risks.
• Specialist anaesthetic assessment minimising delays to surgery.
• Fragility fracture surgery on dedicated consultant-led theatre lists.
• Upper and lower limb fracture surgery maintaining mobility and function utilising specialist fixation and joint replacement techniques.
• Periprosthetic fracture surgery (fractures around joint replacements) including fracture fixation and revision joint replacements.
• Preventative medical treatment to reduce future fracture risk.
• Specialist therapy services to keep people mobile and to maintain independence.

Primary care and social services support

Visit the below websites to learn more about primary care and social services support for discharged patients.

• Tower hamlets
• Newham
• Waltham Forest