Delaying treatment for bone diseases will cost the lives of 1,400 women, the Chancellor’s charity has warned

Around 1,400 women will die if Chancellor Jeremy Hunt fails to end the postcode lottery over a devastating bone disease affecting millions of people.

MPs, peers and top doctors are calling on Mr Hunt to provide £30 million in funding for the early detection of osteoporosis. Experts say the measure will pay for itself many times over.

Campaigners hoped he would raise the money in this month’s budget to install Fracture Liaison Services (FLS) in every NHS trust in England and Wales.

But Mr Hunt turned a deaf ear to pleas to roll it out across Britain. That will cost up to 1,400 lives, experts from the Royal Osteoporosis Society charity say.

Campaigners say his inaction will also result in £39 million in wasted costs in the NHS and social care.

When a patient over 50 years of age presents to the Emergency Department with a broken bone, he is referred, if available, to an FLS, who evaluates him for osteoporosis.

Those with the disease can then be offered treatment.

Although FLS is available in all NHS trusts in Scotland and Northern Ireland, this is only available in just over half of trusts in England and Wales.

The Mail on Sunday’s War On Osteoporosis campaign is backed by the presidents of seven Medical Royal Colleges, 43 charities and by social networking sites Mumsnet and Gransnet. It is also supported by business organizations and trade unions.

A growing list of 270 politicians from the major parties also supports us.

Former Home Secretary David Blunkett said the inability to fund FLS was a false economy because without it thousands of people would suffer painful fractures before they were diagnosed.

‘By doing nothing. . . Ministers have chosen the most expensive option,” he added.

Craig Jones, chief executive of the Royal Osteoporosis Society, called on the government to take urgent steps to combat the disease.