Campaigners from across British life have joined forces to urge Health Secretary Wes Streeting to tackle an NHS scandal that leaves many people with osteoporosis undiagnosed. Only half of NHS trusts in England have a fracture liaison service (FLS) to check for the condition when someone aged 50 or over presents with a first broken bone.
Organisations including Mumsnet, Granset, the British Retail Consortium, and the Royal Osteoporosis Society have written to Streeting demanding an action plan to fulfil a pre-election pledge to end the postcode lottery. They note that musculoskeletal conditions are the leading cause of sickness absence among older workers, and preventing fractures would help reduce worklessness and strengthen the economy, especially in sectors where women are a large part of the workforce.
The letter states: “Each month that passes brings more preventable fractures, with life-changing, sometimes life-threatening, consequences for those affected.” Craig Jones, chief executive of the Royal Osteoporosis Society, praised Streeting’s 10-year plan for the NHS as “superb” but pressed for an implementation plan so there will be “no more broken bones, no more broken lives”.
Signatories include the British Geriatrics Society, the British Orthopaedic Association, the British Society for Rheumatology, and the Society of Radiographers. The Royal Osteoporosis Society claims each year 2,500 people die as a result of preventable hip fractures, and osteoporosis medication costs the NHS as little as £1 per week per patient.
Health Minister Karin Smyth responded: “The Government is listening. We published the 10 Year Health Plan which committed to rolling out fracture liaison services across England by 2030.” She highlighted new neighbourhood health centres, improvements to the NHS App, and 13 high-tech DEXA scanners providing an extra 29,000 scans this year to spot bone conditions earlier.
