Finish ‘postcode lottery’ denying sufferers osteoporosis care, says Matt Hancock
Former well being secretary Matt Hancock has demanded solutions from the Government on the way it will finish the “postcode lottery” that forestalls folks with osteoporosis accessing high quality care.
The impartial MP for West Suffolk has been an outspoken supporter of the Sunday Express’s Better Bones Campaign which goals to make sure everybody over 50 who suffers fragility fractures is seen by a specialist clinic, screened for osteoporosis and
given therapy.
However, there may be presently no mandate to increase the clinics, referred to as Fracture Liaison Services, throughout England – in contrast to in Wales which has set a goal of September 2024 to cowl the entire inhabitants.
The Royal Osteoporosis Society identified that therapy in England has “flatlined” since 2021 and lacked the political management to enhance the system which was failing “90,000 people who are missing out on drugs, despite many of their lives depending on them”.
In a written reply to Mr Hancock’s parliamentary query to Health Secretary Steve Barclay, well being minister Will Quince stated the duty of implementing the clinics lay with native well being chiefs, who develop plans for assembly the well being wants of the inhabitants.
He stated the division was working with them to introduce and enhance the variety of clinics in every space.
Mr Quince defined: “This includes a focus on improving provision of and equity of access to high quality, secondary fracture prevention services, such as Fracture Liaison Services, which help to identify those most at risk and offer preventative support.”
To that finish it maintains a nationwide database which collects particulars on fall and fragility fractures.
Yet ROS chief govt Craig Jones stated: “The Secretary of State says there is a national database of Fracture Liaison Services, but it’s data from this source that shows his current measures are failing. There hasn’t been a single percentage point of improvement in the number of osteoporosis patients getting treatment since 2021.
“Local health chiefs tell us that without a national mandate or funding, Fracture Liaison Services are just not at the races.
“With 185 Parliamentarians now behind us, we’re asking Steve Barclay to tell us if he agrees that older people in England deserve the same level of NHS care as their neighbours in Wales.”