A growing chorus of leading osteoporosis experts are calling on Health Secretary Wes Streeting to make good on his promise to end the NHS postcode lottery, which condemns millions of people to avoidable fractures.
Before the election, Wes Streeting told this newspaper that one of his first acts in government would be to task NHS England with a ‘rollout plan’ so that every part of the country can access Fracture Liaison Services (FLS) – the gold standard in the elections. early diagnosis of the debilitating bone disease.
He also promised an additional 15,000 bone density scans every year, known as DEXA scans, to ensure the disease – which causes bones to weaken and leads to unprecedented pain and fractures – could be diagnosed earlier.
But Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ budget, which allocated a further £22.6 billion to the NHS, made no mention of osteoporosis care. This comes despite Mr Streeting accusing Rishi Sunak’s government of ‘betrayal of patients’ for failing to provide FLS funding in the March Budget.
Now a steering group of leading charities, medical associations and patient groups has written to Mr Streeting urging him to ‘act now’. The group – which includes the Royal Osteoporosis Society, Age UK, Versus Arthritis and the Royal College of Physicians – said it welcomed Mr Streeting’s “important commitment” to achieving full FLS coverage by 2030, but sought “confirmation ‘ of when the plans would have been realized. launched.
It said: ‘Given your comments in The Mail on Sunday we hope that the rollout of FLS can now be an early priority.’
GP and medical broadcaster Dr Sarah Jarvis has described the failure to tackle the postcode lottery for NHS osteoporosis care as ‘a scandal’
Wes Streeting told this newspaper that one of his first acts in government would be to task NHS England with a ‘rollout plan’ so that every part of the country can access Fracture Liaison Services (FLS) – the gold standard in early diagnosis of osteoporosis.
GP and medical broadcaster Dr Sarah Jarvis has also added her voice to the campaign, describing the failure to tackle the issue as ‘a scandal’. “The simple fact is that Wes Streeting has made a written commitment to Fracture Liaison Services,” says Dr. Jarvis. ‘I wish I had been surprised by the fact that the plan was not mentioned in the budget, but the truth is that osteoporosis care has always been at the back of the queue – it is the silent epidemic.
‘FLS is a minimum requirement for patients. Given the lives affected by this condition and the costs to the NHS and social services of caring for vulnerable people with fractures, screening for osteoporosis is a no-brainer for the NHS – and that is why the Government should fund it.”
There are 3.5 million people in Britain with osteoporosis, but it is often known as a ‘silent disease’ because there are no symptoms until someone breaks a bone.
Half of all women and one in five men over 50 will suffer a fracture, usually in the spine or hips, because of the disease, which makes bones so fragile that a break can be caused by coughing or sneezing. Such fractures are the fourth biggest cause of disability and premature death in Britain.
Dr. Jarvis points to statistics showing that people who break a hip are eight times more likely to die within three months and three to four times more likely to die within a year.
And she also describes her own experience with the disease, which was diagnosed 15 months ago after demanding a scan and which the 61-year-old said had left her with bones ‘like those of a 90-year-old’.
“As a GP with knowledge of the risks, so it was diagnosed before I had multiple fractures, I am very aware that I am one of the lucky ones because it has been picked up,” she said.
The Mail on Sunday last year launched a campaign to expand FLS to all parts of England, backed by the Royal Osteoporosis Society.
Currently, only half of all Trusts have the services that aim to investigate the cause of fractures by carrying out DEXA scans and treating osteoporosis if it is found. Early diagnosis means patients can start taking bone-sparing medications earlier, leading to better outcomes and fewer fractures.
The campaign was led by Ruth Sunderland, editor of the Mail, following her diagnosis with osteoporosis. Last month she was invited to meet the Queen, who congratulated Ruth on raising awareness of the condition.
The Mail’s Business Editor Ruth Sunderland meets the Queen, who congratulates Ruth on raising awareness of osteoporosis
The group’s letter also points out that the treatment ‘costs the NHS just £12 per year’ and that introducing an FLS will ‘break even in 18 to 24 months’.
Dr. Nicky Peel, the former clinical lead of the metabolic bone service at the Northern General Hospital in Sheffield, who is also a trustee of the Royal Osteoporosis Society, said: ‘There is a real urgency to assess people who
undergo low-impact fractures thoroughly and quickly, as there is good evidence that this can protect against further fractures and save the NHS money in the long term.
“Four months after Wes Streeting said this would be one of the first things he would put in motion, we are still waiting to see how and when it will be implemented. The clock is ticking – and for people who miss something and suffer broken bones as a result, their chance has been lost.’