Health Secretary Wes Streeting has been urged to create an action plan to stop deaths and suffering (Image: Ben Montgomery/Getty Images / Peter Dazeley)
Campaigners from across British life have joined forces to urge Health Secretary Wes Streeting to tackle an NHS scandal which means people with a potentially deadly bone disease often go undiagnosed with devastating consequences for their health and the economy. Only half of NHS trusts in England have a “fracture liaison service” to provide a straightforward check for osteoporosis when someone aged 50-plus comes in for the first time with a broken bone.
Organisations ranging from Mumsnet and Granset to the British Retail Consortium – alongside a host of medical societies and the Royal Osteoporosis Society have urged Mr Streeting to publish an action plan for how he will deliver on a pre-election pledge to end the postcode lottery.
Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT
They state: “Many osteoporosis patients are our more experienced workers. Since musculoskeletal conditions are the leading cause of sickness absence in this age group, preventing fractures will help reduce worklessness and strengthen the economy. This is particularly true in sectors and public services where women make up a large part of the workforce.”
Their letter adds: “We write to ask that a plan for full implementation is published soon. 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 Mr Streeting’s 10-year plan for the NHS as “superb” – and pressed for an implementation plan so there will be “no more broken bones, no more broken lives”.
Read more: England Falling Behind in Global Race to Tackle Britain’s “Silent Killer”
Read more: Victory for Better Bones - scanners rolled out across England in major NHS boost
The letter describes the situation across England, stating: “Every day, healthcare professionals working in wards, theatres and ambulances witness the missed opportunities to prevent fragility fractures, along with the pain, disability and disruption they cause to patients and families. You’ve spoken powerfully about your own family’s experience of hip fracture, and how access to an FLS could have prevented it.”
It adds: “Half of women over 50, and one in five men, will suffer a fracture due to osteoporosis. Rolling out these bone clinics will make an enormous difference to women’s health.”
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 are dying as a result of preventable hip fractures. It says osteoporosis medication “costs the NHS as little as ￡1 per week per patient”.
Health Minister Karin Smyth said: “I want to thank the Sunday Express and the other organisations involved in the Better Bones campaign, particularly the Federation of Small Businesses, who I met with recently. The Government is listening.
“[We] published the 10 Year Health Plan which committed to rolling out fracture liaison services across England by 2030 and set out a raft of other measures which will support osteoporosis patients.
“The more than two million women across England and Wales affected by the condition will benefit from the neighbourhood health centres we’re introducing as part of the plan. These will offer diagnostics, mental health support, rehab and nursing under one roof in your local community.
“We’re also transforming the NHS App so people can directly access community services without having to go through their GP first.
“More than one in three women will experience a fracture due to osteoporosis in their lifetime, so I’m especially pleased with the 13 high-tech DEXA scanners we’re delivering nationwide this year. These are expected to provide an extra 29,000 scans to help make sure bone conditions get spotted earlier.
“I went to Harefield Hospital in May to see how the medics there were using this cutting-edge kit, and it really is going to make a difference. Taken together, the improvements this government is delivering will transform care for osteoporosis patients, getting them diagnosed earlier, and where possible, preventing conditions from arising in the first place.”
Health minister Karin Smyth (Image: PAUL GILLIS / Reach PLC)
SUBSCRIBE Invalid email
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy
Read Next