Orthotics treated as a Cinderella Service
22 July 2009
Orthotics, the provision of bracing and prescription footwear, is treated as the "Cinderella service" of the National Health Service but saves four times as much as is spent on it, according to a major new report.
The Findings from the York Health Economics Forum, assisted by the British Healthcare Trades Association (BHTA), support previous reviewswhich attributed significant saving opportunities to orthotic services.For example,a review ofNHS Trustshasshown that for every £1 spent on orthotic intervention, the NHS saves £4 on care it would otherwise have to give. With spending on orthotics currently at an estimated £100 million a year, this would represent a current saving of £400 million.
This report supports this research by identifyingspecific examples of savings through the use of orthotics intreatingruptured tendons, for diabetics and other patients suffering foot conditions whomight otherwise require more drastic and costly treatment. However, orthotic services are being targeted for funding cuts and the system is artificially complicated, with NHS procurement policies dividing the supply of orthotic products from the provision of professional orthotic services.
Ray Hodgkinson, Director General of the BHTA, said: "Orthotic services have historically been seen as a low priority in the NHS. Orthotics has for far too long been treated as a Cinderella figure but its clinical success and cost effectiveness means that it actually saves money for the NHS."
"More than 1.2 million people in the UK rely on orthotic products to allow them to continue to work and to lead independent lives. For diabetic patients orthotics are invaluable in stopping the potential consequences of their condition."
Conditions where orthotics are a vital and successful element of treatment include:
The new report looks at orthotic service provision and funding in the NHS. The report identifies the need for a comprehensive, better-resourced and integrated orthotic service and proposes recommendations to achieve this.
Orthotic services help treat many clinical areas which consume a significant amount of the NHS budget. As the population ages and associated clinical conditions become more complex, demands on the service will increase. By keeping people mobile and independent, and by reducing the need for acute treatment or social care, orthotic services can achieve significant health and quality of life benefits for patients.