𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Reform UK has blasted Labour for condemning people to early deaths and “misery” by failing to deliver on a promise to end a postcode lottery which means much of the nation misses out on basic fracture care. Deputy leader Richard Tice described how people in his own constituency were suffering because of a failure to check for osteoporosis.

He said: “Labour made a clear promise to end the postcode lottery in osteoporosis care, yet here in Boston and Skegness we still don’t even have the basic fracture liaison service that could save lives and prevent misery. This broken pledge means people are suffering avoidable fractures, being forced out of work, and living in needless pain, and in some cases, dying earlier than they should.

“Boston and Skegness urgently need proper osteoporosis screening and support, just as much as anywhere else in the country. Labour must stop dithering, keep their word, and deliver the care millions of people were promised, and deserve, without delay.”

The Sunday Express’s Better Bones campaign resulted in the Conservatives and Labour both pledging to roll out these services by 2030. The Royal Osteoporosis Society (ROS) warns around half of NHS trusts lack these services.

It has calculated providing universal access to checks in the Lincolnshire integrated care board area – which covers Mr Tice’s constituency – would over five years prevent 991 fragility fractures, save 99 lives, free-up 8,500 acute hospital bed days and save more than £11.7million for local health and social care services.

A source at the Department for Health and Social Care said: “We pledged to roll out fracture liaison services across England by 2030 and we are delivering on that pledge.”

The source challenged Reform to “come clean” about its plans for the NHS and the impact on patients.

ROS is pushing for Health Secretary Wes Streeting to publish an action plan to “give everyone in England access to these life-saving services”.

The charity warns one in two women and one in five men over 50 will break a bone as a result of osteoporosis. It says each year “2,500 people are dying as a result of preventable hip fractures”.