Consultancy

In October 2005, Paul founded Synthesis Medical Limited in the United Kingdom, an independent healthcare consultancy. Synthesis has provided consultancy services to policy makers, professional organisations, patient societies and private sector companies throughout the world. Synthesis’ primary focus is the development of systematic approaches to chronic disease management, with particular expertise in care and prevention strategies for fragility fracture patients. In May 2011, Paul established Synthesis Medical NZ Limited based near to Auckland, New Zealand. Paul was an author of the 2012 World Osteoporosis Day Report for the International Osteoporosis Foundation Capture the Fracture Campaign, and has developed web-based resources to support implementation of Fracture Liaison Services throughout the world.

Paul served as a Specialist Adviser to the Department of Health in England Older People and Dementia Branch and was a co-author of the falls and fractures component of the 2009 Department of Health Prevention Package for Older People. He also provided consultancy services to the National Clinical Director for Trauma to develop the economic case for improving treatment and care pathways for patients with fragility fractures. This work contributed to launch of the Best Practice Tariff for fragility hip fracture, a highly successful national quality incentive scheme designed to encourage compliance with two key clinical characteristics of best practice, relating to time to surgery and orthogeriatric input.

Synthesis has been commissioned to develop fragility fracture care and prevention initiatives worldwide. These include the Osteoporosis Canada FLS initiative, Fracture Prevention CENTRAL (USA), Australian and New Zealand Hip Fracture Registry website, Osteoporosis Resources for Primary Care (UK National Osteoporosis Society and Royal College of GPs), the resources section of the National Hip Fracture Database website (UK) and Fracture Liaison Service Resource Packs (Australia, New Zealand and UK). In 2012, Synthesis worked with Novartis (UK) to develop integrated approaches to dementia, falls and fractures

Voluntary

Paul was a co-author of the 2007 British Orthopaedic Association – British Geriatric Society ‘Blue Book’ on the care of patients with fragility fracture and was a member of the UK National Hip Fracture Database Steering Group. He was a member of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research Task Force on osteoporotic fracture secondary prevention. Paul served as an advisor to the Osteoporotic Fracture Campaign of the International Society for Fracture Repair.

Paul contributed to the development of the National Osteoporosis Society’s strategy on Fracture Liaison Services and secondary fracture prevention in the UK. In April 2009, Paul was invited to join the International Osteoporosis Foundation Committee of Scientific Advisors Fracture Working Group as an external co-opted guest to contribute to a new IOF Fracture Liaison Service initiative. This resulted in publication of an IOF Position Paper on Fracture Liaison Services which led to the Capture the Fracture Campaign.

In 2012, Paul was invited to join the board of Osteoporosis New Zealand which developed a national strategy, BoneCare 2020. Subsequent interactions with the Minister of Health and his team has resulted in directives which require all District Health Boards in New Zealand to establish Fracture Liaison Services. Development of a New Zealand Hip Fracture Registry is also in process. Paul is the current Acting Chair of the Board of Trustees of Osteoporosis New Zealand

Academic

Paul was an Associate Lecturer in the Faculty of Education, Health and Sciences at the University of Derby from 2006 to 2011. This sessional post was primarily concerned with the development of medical education initiatives in osteoporosis and falls management for Allied Healthcare Professionals. In 2013, Paul was appointed as an Adjunct Senior Lecturer in the School of Medicine of the University of Notre Dame Australia.