Osteoporosis

Opened the debate

Judith Cummins, MP for Bradford South and Labour member, raised the importance of osteoporosis support in the UK. She highlighted the Better Bones campaign's significant backing from parliamentarians, charities, royal medical colleges, business leaders, and trade unions to end the postcode lottery on access to crucial osteoporosis services. Ms. Cummins emphasised that prevention is key to tackling osteoporosis, with a focus on diagnosis and treatment through Fracture Liaison Services (FLS). She pointed out that osteoporosis affects half of all women over 50 and one in five men. Ms. Cummins stressed the need for FLS coverage as it can reduce refracture risk by up to 40%, freeing up hospital bed days, and improving quality of life for those affected. The MP also addressed the financial argument for establishing full FLS coverage, estimating an annual cost of £27 million, which would generate a significant return on investment. Ms. Cummins called for decisive action from the Government to provide 100% FLS coverage across England.

Government Response

Will Quince commended Judith Cummins for her work on osteoporosis. He acknowledged the growing challenge of osteoporosis due to demographic shifts, noting that over 3 million people in the UK have the condition and more than half a million fragility fractures occur each year. The Minister highlighted NHS England's support for FLS as best practice for secondary fracture prevention and its commitment to explore supporting provision through the Major Conditions Strategy. He also mentioned investments of £25 million in women’s health hubs across ICBs, which include osteoporosis assessment and care services such as DEXA scanning. The Minister emphasised that while FLS is crucial, other initiatives like the NHS Getting it Right First Time programme for musculoskeletal health are underway to improve diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis. He also highlighted significant research funding from NIHR into MSK conditions including osteoporosis, aiming to drive cutting-edge research and better outcomes for patients.