Value for Money in Healthcare: Zimmer’s Contribution
Message from Antony Massarella, VP Northern Europe
February 2011
In a year of continuing pressure on public finances, health care spending will remain under the microscope. The Coalition Government committed to protect the NHS budget in its five year Spending Review. Overall NHS spending is budgeted to increase by 0.4% in real terms over the course of the review period to 2014-15. This comprises a 1.3% increase in the resource budget, a 17% decrease in capital spending but a 33% reduction in the administration budget which is to be reinvested to support delivery of NHS services. This translates into the Government’s message to all hospital trusts that they must find £15billion to £20billion in efficiency savings.
Mr Osborne, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, underlined the pressures on the NHS when he said in his Spending Review statement: “Productivity in the health service fell steadily over the last ten years, and that must not continue. By 2014, we are aiming to save up to £20 billion a year by demanding better value for money. …we need to make these savings to deal with our ageing population and the rising costs of new medical treatments.”
Zimmer’s contribution to efficiency and improved value for money can come from procedures that reduce post-operative recovery time and require shorter lengths of stay in hospital. Reducing treatment failure risk also saves money and improved system-specific training for medical professionals can help to reduce the risk of failure or partial failure of treatments. Advanced instrumentation and products which enable a more accurate fit to individual patient needs can not only improve outcomes but also increase longevity of treatment impact.
As part of our commitment towards the highest standards of medical care, we continue to expand our training support for health care professionals who use our products in the UK. Advanced professional training is in great demand and our ability to meet this need is vital in support of our customers. We recognise the importance of being at the forefront of professional education and are providing medical staff with unparalleled training and course offerings that not only provide instruction on how to use our products safely and effectively, but also give them the opportunity to develop their surgical skills by having access to some of the most experienced and forward thinking surgeons in Europe
From its global reach and significant research budget, Zimmer continues to benefit UK surgeons with innovative solutions to offer their patients. A recent study has illustrated that we are getting access to new therapies in Europe an average of two years before patients in the United States with no compromise to patient safety[1] . An example of recent technology advancement is the Continuum Cup which combines the best of Zimmer’s proven hip technologies – Trabecular Metal™ Technology, Metasul® Metal-on-Metal technology, BIOLOX® delta and Longevity® Highly Crosslinked Polyethylene – with new innovations in what is now the company’s most versatile acetabular cup system. Candidates for hip replacement surgery represent a wide array of ages and lifestyle demands. Different patient circumstances require surgeons to consider a range of different implant bearing surfaces to accommodate their patients’ needs. The Continuum Cup gives surgeons the option of choosing between metal, ceramic or Highly Crosslinked Polyethylene bearing surfaces to match patient lifestyles.
By creating a system with multiple cup liner options in a range of sizes and configurations, surgeons are able to select the cup and bearing surface which best meet each patient’s specific needs, creating a more personalised fit. In combination with our comprehensive stem portfolio, including our Fitmore® Hip Stem and M/L Taper with Kinectiv ® technology, Zimmer offers surgeons tremendous flexibility and confidence to personalise the implant solution.
Another example of Zimmer innovation is the Zimmer Patient Specific Instrument system for total knee replacement. Representing the next step in customisation of the total knee surgical procedure, these Instruments utilise MRI imaging and pre-operative software planning to create disposable, patient matched, femoral and tibial pin placement guides. They are designed to provide a simplified, efficient, and surgeon controlled customised Total Knee surgical experience.
In trauma, the Zimmer® Natural Nail™ System is a next-generation range of intramedullary nails designed to provide stable fixation for long bone fractures and help restore the shape of fractured bone to its natural, pre-injured state.
2011 is sure to be another challenging year for healthcare in the UK but we at Zimmer stand ready to continue our efforts to bring efficacy, efficiency, value for money and improved outcomes for patients. Our commitment to research and innovation, professional training for surgeons and theatre staff and our highly knowledgeable Zimmer personnel who support our products in hospitals every day, can combine to make a substantial contribution to the goals of improved efficiency in orthopaedics healthcare.
