Help soars for Express marketing campaign to wipe out ‘silent killer’ osteoporosis
The Sunday Express Better Bones campaign to struggle the “silent disease” of osteoporosis has been backed by greater than 600 medics and 100 cross-party MPs and Peers.
Leading charity Age UK has additionally joined our campaign to turbo-charge early analysis of the situation and stop 1000’s of over-50s dying needlessly, or being left with life-limiting incapacity.
Our marketing campaign – in collaboration with the Royal Osteoporosis Society – is looking on the Government to speculate £30million a 12 months in Fracture Liaison Services.
These very important devoted bone clinics can detect osteoporosis after a fracture.
Medics backing our marketing campaign have written to the Government outlining the calls for for higher osteoporosis care, stating their issues that “around 90,000 people per year are missing out on treatment”. They write: “The first fracture should be the last.”
Osteoporosis – the fourth greatest reason for untimely demise and incapacity – weakens bones to the purpose they will break simply.
Yet a “postcode lottery” throughout the UK means some individuals who have suffered a bone break usually are not receiving follow-up care to check and assess their danger of osteoporosis.
If untreated osteoporosis can result in demise or incapacity. Studies present that giving wider entry to Fracture Liaison Services would forestall 74,000 fractures – together with 31,000 probably lethal hip fractures over 5 years. This may save 8,000 lives over
the identical interval and slash £665million from the NHS outlay for remedy.
Our Better Bones marketing campaign is looking for all over-50s to have entry to Fracture Liaison Services. We additionally desire a “fracture tsar” appointed in every of Britain’s nations to supervise the supply of companies.
Patients attending the devoted bone clinics see a specialist clinician who’s skilled to test whether or not a fracture is brought on by osteoporosis. This may embody a bone scan, questions on household historical past and using sure medicines.
Effective, comparatively low-cost therapies are then provided to forestall additional fractures.
About 3.5 million individuals within the UK undergo with osteoporosis, with most remaining undiagnosed. In a joint letter to the Secretary of State for Health, 648 medics have supported our name for common entry to high quality Fracture Liaison Services.
They write: “The postcode lottery for these services means 90,000 people a year are missing out on treatment. The result is tens of thousands of preventable spinal and hip fractures, which are life-changing for people and costly for the NHS.”
Karen Barker, a professor of physiotherapy at Oxford University, mentioned: “Having a Fracture Liaison Service is money well spent. We know that where these services are set up there is a 40 percent reduction in future fractures. This not only saves money but impacts people’s quality of life.
“We only have these services in half the country. We have a National health Service but it is iniquitous that having a service
that could prevent you having poor bone health is dependent on where you live.”
One signatory mentioned: “I work in an osteoporosis clinic where there is no such service. Every day, I meet patients who have never had osteoporosis treatment, despite previous fracture history, who are now living with pain and disability from multiple vertebral fractures which could have been prevented. It is scandalous.”
Politicians from all events have backed our Better Bones marketing campaign. On Saturday 92 had joined our calls for for pressing motion.
Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, mentioned: “As we can’t feel bones weakening it usually goes undetected until we break a bone. This is why it is often called the ‘silent disease’.”
Royal Osteoporosis Society CEO Craig Jones says governments have discovered imaginative methods to move the buck on
osteoporosis care.
But he mentioned Health Secretary Steve Bar-clay has a golden alternative to save lots of lives and minimize NHS spending. Mr Jones mentioned: “Bone health has been the poor cousin in the NHS for decades.
Generations of politicians and officials have failed to grasp both the scale of the problem and the opportunity to lift pressures on the NHS. Our current Health Secretary can be the one to change all that.
“Half of women over 50 will suffer fractures due to osteoporosis, as well as a fifth of men. These fractures are the fourth worst cause of early death and disability, costing more life years than stroke, asthma and Parkinson’s put together.
“Yet with leadership from ministers, osteoporosis is one of the most fixable problems in the NHS. Fractures are preventable with safe, effective medicines that are easily affordable for the NHS.
“Currently, 90,000 people who need those medicines are missing out because there are no local Fracture Liaison Services.
“They’re abandoned to suffer devastating fractures, building up an avalanche of demand on hospitals, ambulances and social care. The NHS is facing the battle of its life following the pandemic. With money tight and waiting lists spiralling, the waste is scandalous.
“Within five years of setting up a specialist bone clinic in every area we can free up 750,000 hospital beds.” Among politicians backing our marketing campaign is Tory peer Lord Brownlow, of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Osteoporosis.
He mentioned: “Timely diagnosis and treatment can reduce re-fracture risk by 40 percent.”
Also giving her help is physiotherapist turned MP Rachael Maskell. The Labour MP, who sits on Westminster’s well being and social care committee, mentioned: “People today are discharged quite fast from hospital and we don’t want them sat in a chair. We want them up on their feet, feeling they are able to get back to a functional, normal life.
“That’s why it’s important we have the right people in the right place.”
Ms Maskell suspects osteoporosis has not obtained the eye it warrants as a result of it’s seen as a situation predominantly affecting girls. She mentioned: “Women’s health is always secondary in the system and we need to make sure it’s put front and centre.”