The coalition, which includes the Royal Osteoporosis Society, Age UK, Boots, the CBI, Mumsnet, and trade unions Unite and GMB, has written to Streeting urging action. According to Royal Osteoporosis Society analysis, the delay in rolling out fracture liaison services (FLS) has resulted in 17,000 preventable fractures across England since Labour came to office, including more than 7,000 preventable hip fractures. Campaigners say every year the plan is delayed, an estimated 2,000 people die following hip fractures that early diagnosis could have prevented.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting and his ministers have restated their commitment to rolling out FLS by 2030 61 times, according to the Royal Osteoporosis Society. However, the lack of a delivery plan with clear milestones has caused anxiety among medics and patients, campaigners report. More than 40 organizations are urging the Health Secretary to deliver on his promise to end the postcode lottery for FLS clinics, according to major media reports. Streeting has previously promised to create FLS across all areas of England, major media reports indicate.
Around half of NHS trusts lack fracture liaison services, according to multiple reports. Nearly 3.5 million patients in the UK live with osteoporosis, major media reports state. Studies show many fractures are preventable if patients had known they had the condition and were being treated for it, according to major media. Charities report that 1,760,000 women in the UK are not receiving the treatment they need, largely due to poor diagnosis rates from the FLS postcode lottery. Studies indicate half of women and one in five men will break a bone due to osteoporosis.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting recently announced the roll-out of 20 new bone scanners (Dexa scanners) to treat osteoporosis earlier, according to multiple reports. The Department of Health and Social Care describes Dexa scanners as the gold standard for diagnosing osteoporosis and assessing fracture risk. The funding covers six extra scanners to expand capacity and 14 replacement machines, multiple reports confirm.
Broadcaster Mariella Frostrup has joined campaigners in calling for an end to government delays in rolling out osteoporosis clinics, major media reports.
Key unknowns remain about the government's implementation plans. The specific milestones and timeline included in the delivery plan for rolling out fracture liaison services by 2030 have not been detailed. It is unclear how many additional fracture liaison services have been established since Labour came to office, and what the current coverage is across NHS trusts. The estimated total cost of rolling out FLS and providing preventative medication nationwide, compared to the £150 million cost of delays, has not been disclosed. The number of the 20 new bone scanners announced that have been deployed, and their locations, are not specified. The specific actions the government is taking to address the postcode lottery in osteoporosis diagnosis and treatment beyond announcing new scanners have not been outlined.