An innovative Northern project to prevent fractures has been shortlisted for Best Pharmaceutical Partnership with the NHS at the HSJ Partnership Awards 2020.

The ‘Northern Bone Health Project – Falls and Fracture Prevention, a Population Approach’ is a new approach to reduce the risk of older people breaking bones which could save the NHS over £35 million, across the North of England, if it is fully scaled-out across the region.

A joint working arrangement between Amgen and the Northern Health Science Alliance (NHSA) in collaboration with the four Northern Academic Health Science Networks and Interface, the project aims to identify patients at high risk of breaking bones, evaluate medications and treat those patients, where appropriate, with a bone-sparing agent to improve bone density.

The HSJ Partnership Awards judging panel comprised a diverse range of highly regarded figures across the NHS and wider healthcare sector. To be shortlisted as a finalist for these awards, despite tough competition from hundreds of brilliant applicants, is a mark of real achievement and recognises all partners’ outstanding dedication to improving healthcare.

The Northern Bone Health Project has been selected based on the diligence, ambition and the positive impact that the work has had on both practitioners and patients within the health care industry.

If scaled up to the population level of the North’s 16 million, the project would equal £35,163,642 in direct costs and £8,454,046 in residential costs – a total of £43,617,688 potential savings in health and social care.

The project has been developed and tested by the Academic Health Science Network for the North East and North Cumbria and the Innovation Agency (AHSN for the North West Coast). All four AHSNs across the North including Greater Manchester and Yorkshire and Humber are now implementing the project.

The project, which began in March 2019, is scheduled to run for one year and designed as a ‘proof of concept’ to provide the evidence for a future-proof sustainable model of fracture reduction.

Dr Séamus O’Neill, Chief Executive at the NHSA, said: “We are delighted that the Northern Bone Health Project has been shortlisted as a finalist for Best Pharmaceutical Partnership with the NHS, recognising the collaborative efforts and dedication of everyone involved in this ground-breaking pan-Northern project.

“This is an important piece of collaborative preventative work which is addressing the challenges posed by falls and fractures to both patients’ health and the financial implications for national health and social care services.”

HSJ editor Alastair McLellan comments: “We would like to congratulate Amgen and the Northern Health Science Alliance on being nominated in the category of Best Pharmaceutical Partnership with the NHS ahead of HSJ Partnership Awards 2020. We are looking forward to welcoming them to the ceremony in February, to join us in recognising the very best collaborations and innovations in the healthcare sector. This year’s finalists are of an outstanding calibre and all of them are exceptionally dedicated to enhancing healthcare across the UK.”

The winners will be selected following a rigorous “live panel” judging stage ahead of the HSJ Partnership Awards 2020 awards ceremony. Held at the Park Plaza Westminster on the 27th February, the evening will provide a great opportunity for influential figures to unite and celebrate the achievements of their industry peers.

The awards evening is expected to be attended by leaders and professionals from both the NHS and private sector as well as figures from non-clinical backgrounds to celebrate innovation and collaboration in healthcare. This year’s chosen charity partner is MediCinema a charity dedicated to improving the wellbeing of patients, their families and carers across the UK through the magic of the shared cinema experience.

The full list of finalists for the 2020 HSJ Partnership awards can be found here.