Falls, fragility and fractures. National Service Framework for Older People: The case for and strategies to implement a joint health improvement and modernisation plan for falls and osteoporosis

Accident prevention is one of the four priorities for the NHS as set out in the White Paper Saving Lives: Our Healthier Nation.

The recent National Service Framework for Older People (NSF-OP) focuses on falls which result in serious injury in the population of older people. The NSF-OP highlights the link between falls and osteoporosis and sets minimum standards for healthcare.

This paper further highlights the link between falls and osteoporosis and the resulting injuries and deaths.

Falls and osteoporosis are common in older people. A fall in people with osteoporosis is likely to result in a worse outcome due to the increased risk of fracture. Falls and fractures are associated with high morbidity, mortality and substantial costs.