𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

A powerhouse coalition of 43 organisations has made a passionate personal appeal to Health Secretary Wes Streeting, accusing the Government of a dangerous delay in publishing a life-saving bone health strategy.

The group – which includes the Royal Osteoporosis Society (ROS), Age UK, Boots, the CBI, Mumsnet and major trade unions Unite and the GMB – warns that the failure to honour a pre-election pledge to ensure patients’ bone health is checked when they show up with a fracture is costing lives and draining the Treasury.

Around half of NHS trusts lack “fracture liaison services” (FLS) despite Mr Streeting’s promise to end the postcode lottery. New analysis by the ROS reveals the devastating impact of this policy vacuum. Since Labour came to office, the delay has led to 17,000 preventable fractures across England; more than 7,000 life-threatening hip fractures that could have been avoided; and £150million in costs to the NHS and social care systems.

Campaigners say this loss “dwarves” the actual cost of rolling out FLS and providing preventative medication. Every year the plan is delayed, an estimated 2,000 people die following hip fractures that early diagnosis could have stopped. The Health Secretary and his ministers have restated their commitment to rolling out the services by 2030 61 times, according to the ROS. But the lack of a delivery plan with clear milestones has caused “anxiety amongst medics and patients”.

Craig Jones, chief executive of the ROS, said: “We’re asking ministers to set out clearly how and when they will implement the policy so we can end this needless harm. A late start is better than no start – lives depend on progress being made.”

The Sunday Express has been at the forefront of campaigning for FLS with our Better Bones campaign. Osteoporosis and other conditions threaten not just the health of the nation but present a danger to the economy.

Jordan Cummins of the CBI business organisation, warned of how bone conditions are driving people out of the workforce, saying: “Keeping experienced older workers in the workforce can be critical to our labour market. Musculoskeletal conditions like osteoporosis are the foremost reason for older employees, particularly women, scaling back hours, taking sick leave or retiring early.”

Craig Beaumont of the Federation of Small Businesses added that small firms are on the “frontline,” and that fast access to fracture support would “reduce the need to rely on benefits and sick pay, and lead to greater local economic growth.”

Half of all women over 50 and one in five men will break bones because of osteoporosis, the campaigners claim. They warn that “vast majority are not receiving medication to prevent fractures”.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “The Government is committed to rolling out fracture liaison services by 2030, as set out in our 10 Year Health Plan. But we’re also taking action in the meantime by investing in 20 new state-of-the-art DEXA scanners across the country, building on the first wave of 13 last year.

“The new machines will help diagnose fragile bones earlier and prevent painful, life-changing fractures – particularly among older people and women, who are disproportionately affected by osteoporosis.”