Did the doctors miss the cause of Steve’s ten spinal fractures (one of which was caused by sneezing) because he is a man?

It took ten painful spinal fractures in one year before NHS doctors finally diagnosed Stephen Robinson with the bone-thinning disease osteoporosis.

The father-of-three, 71, says the cause of his increasing pain was only discovered after he suffered another fracture in his back – which was caused by sneezing.

However, the Yorkshire forklift driver had to pay £3,500 for a private scan to confirm the diagnosis.

Stephen believes that doctors did not suspect osteoporosis because most patients are women. Instead, they told him that his immobility was due to aging. He has now written to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who is also his MP, urging him to ensure all hospitals have specialist clinics, known as fracture liaison services, to detect early signs of osteoporosis.

The clinics offer evaluations for the disease to people over 50 who arrive at the emergency room with a broken bone. They will have a DEXA scan – an X-ray that measures bone density – and may then receive treatments or advice to improve their bone health through diet, exercise and supplements.

But the services are only available in around half of England’s NHS Trusts. The Mail on Sunday is campaigning to roll out the clinics across Britain.

Stephen was previously a keen athlete who took part in the Great North Run five times and played football well into his 50s.

However, since suffering these fractures in 2017, he has been unable to walk more than a few hundred meters. He says he saw his GP 10 times before being diagnosed, but was never sent for a scan.

“The first break occurred when I leaned over to pick up a heavy bag at work,” he says. ‘I felt a terrible, sharp pain in my back. It was so bad that I felt dizzy and nauseous. I had to take the rest of the day off from work.”

Stephen’s GP said it was nothing to worry about. “He told me to rest for a few days and then I could go back to work,” he says. Within three days of returning to work, I felt a sharp pain in my back again – the second fracture. I kept going to the doctor, but was told it was just the wear and tear that people my age experience.

‘I asked if it was worth having a scan but he said it was a muscle problem so there was no point. Osteoporosis was never mentioned. Maybe this was because most of the patients are women, so the doctors didn’t think I was at risk.’

Only one in five people with osteoporosis is male. Women are more at risk because estrogen levels, which help maintain bone health, drop during menopause.

Stephen could no longer dress himself, cook meals or lead an independent life. He relied on his sister-in-law Barbara to care for him. He also had to give up his work.

Nearly a year later, Stephen was making a cup of tea when he sneezed. He felt a sharp pain in his back and fell to the ground. It was his tenth fracture.

“I knew at that moment that I had to pay attention to it,” says Stephen. ‘So I paid privately to have a scan done. I spent almost £3,500 to get my diagnosis.’

Scans revealed his extensive spinal fractures and he was told he had severe osteoporosis. He now receives daily injections of medication that helps strengthen his bones.

Stephen believes that doctors did not suspect osteoporosis because most patients are women

His pain has largely subsided and he can get around without a cane, but he will probably never play sports or work full-time again.

“My osteoporosis was repeatedly missed,” says Stephen. ‘If there had been a local fracture contact service, my GP might have referred me there after my first or second visit. I could have been saved from multiple fractures and still be working.

‘I feel like I have been let down by the NHS. I don’t want the same thing to happen to others. That’s why I’m calling on the Prime Minister to fund fracture liaison services in all hospitals.”

Research from the Royal Osteoporosis Society published last week found that up to 2.6 million people in Britain have broken bones in their backs and are in severe pain without knowing the cause. This is due to the postcode lottery on the break reporting services.

Spine fractures often happen without a traumatic event such as a fall. As a result, they are written off as wear and tear or muscle pain. According to the Royal Osteoporosis Society, approximately 70 percent of vertebral fractures never receive medical attention.

Last week, the Welsh Government announced it would invest more than £1 million in fracture connection services, to ensure all patients in Wales can access a clinic.

Scotland and Northern Ireland are also guaranteeing equal access to a fracture liaison service wherever they live, meaning England will be the only region in Britain where not all patients at risk of osteoporosis are screened.

But Health Secretary Victoria Atkins has backed The Mail on Sunday’s campaign for a universal fracture service.

A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said: ‘Across England, our major conditions strategy will explore ways to improve outcomes for patients with musculoskeletal conditions.

‘Through our women’s health strategy, we want to improve the experiences of women with conditions that disproportionately affect them, such as osteoporosis.’

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