Union leaders and enterprise bosses are backing our marketing campaign to deal with osteoporosis.
Poor entry to specialist bone clinics for over-50s is dragging down the financial system by holding staff out of the workforce, commerce union leaders say.
And enterprise chiefs level out regardless that “labour market resilience is central to the health and wealth of the nation”, sickness-related absence stays “stubbornly high”.
Ill well being is the largest explanation for financial inactivity within the over-50s age group, with musculoskeletal situations like osteoporosis enjoying a significant half.
An unimaginable 2.62million sick days are taken yearly by UK staff because of fractures attributable to osteoporosis.
READ MORE: Support soars for Express campaign to wipe out 'silent killer' osteoporosis [LATEST]
An unimaginable 2.62million sick days are taken yearly by UK staff because of fractures (Image: Getty)
The Confederation of British Industry, Trades Union Congress and senior politicians have all joined the Sunday Express’s battle for higher fracture providers in each a part of the nation.
There is large concern that long-term illness is stopping these but to achieve retirement age enjoying a full function within the workforce – with severe penalties for his or her livelihoods and the financial system.
The most up-to-date labour figures reveal greater than 1 / 4 of these aged 50 to 64 aren't in work, however not claiming unemployment advantages both. It is feared in poor health well being is stopping many placing their expertise and abilities to work.
It additionally impacts staff who need to take go away to take care of older mother and father. On common, a hip fracture affected person will want greater than 200 hours of household care to get better.
Jordan Cummins of the CBI backed our Better Bones Campaign’s name for everybody over 50 to have entry to a high quality fractures liaison service.
He stated: “Economic inactivity due to long-term sickness remains stubbornly high. Labour market resilience is central to the health and wealth of the nation and so the ambitions of the Better Bones Campaign are important for ensuring all workers, but especially the over-50s, are supported to remain in the workforce.”
Strong help additionally got here from Shelly Asquith of the TUC, who stated the organisation “very much” supported our marketing campaign with the Royal Osteoporosis Society (ROS).
She stated: “We very much support your efforts to get people the support and medical interventions they need and the way this campaign exposes gaps in our health service and its effect on workers.
“It’s great to see the attention this is getting and hope it continues to generate the interest and action it deserves.”
Research suggests almost one in 5 folks with osteoporosis have had their work-life disrupted, with as many as 600,000 older staff susceptible to changing into unemployable.
Former Cabinet Minister Damian Green stated: “At a time when we are desperately short of workers we need the over-50s to be able to work for their own sake and for the sake of the economy.
“Cutting down on the number of older workers who are prevented because of fractures is an urgent issue.”
Damian Green (Image: Getty)
A key aim of our marketing campaign is ending the postcode lottery in terms of fracture care – a concern shared by Mr Green.
He stated: “It would be a significant improvement to the quality of life generally if we could all have the high-quality care that is available in some parts of the country.”
His name for motion was echoed on the other aspect of the political spectrum by Sharon Graham, normal secretary of union Unite.
She stated: “It is disgusting that half of women over 50 are suffering from preventable fractures while the Government sits on its hands. We back the demand of the Better Bones Campaign that everyone should have access to a fracture liaison service that’suniversal and of high quality.
“People wanting to work are prevented from doing so because of this postcode lottery.”
We are calling for the bone clinics to be made accessible to all over-50s – which might come at a value of £30million a 12 months.
Meanwhile, the ROS praised the Welsh Government’s dedication to supply fracture liaison providers to each a part of Wales by subsequent September.
This will guarantee individuals who endure a primary fracture obtain a correct prognosis and medication to deal with osteoporosis.
Andrew RT Davies, who leads the Conservatives within the Welsh Parliament, stated motion to assist older folks keep in work could be good for the people involved and for the financial system.
“It doesn’t make a difference whether you live in Liverpool or Llandudno – osteoporosis is osteoporosis,” he stated.
Sharon Graham (Image: gETTY)
More than 200 Parliamentarians and almost 800 medics again the marketing campaign. Among them is Carolyn Harris, Labour MP for Swansea East.
She stated: “Having long campaigned for better access to treatment for those experiencing menopause, one of the issues that come up time and time again is the increased risk that women face of developing osteoporosis – particularly women who experience early menopause.
“Oestrogen is essential for healthy bones, and as levels fall, many will experience a rapid reduction in bone density.
“While we know HRT can considerably reduce the risk of osteoporosis, we also know it is not suitable for everyone.
“We need to ensure there are sufficient services right across the country, to support those at risk. Fracture Liaison Services reduce the chance of re-fracture by 40 percent, yet, just like with HRT, a postcode lottery means many are missing out on this vital service.”
Craig Jones, CEO of the ROS, stated: “It’s a mistake to think osteoporosis is just about hip fractures among people over 70. Tens of thousands of employees in their 50s and 60s are being forced out of the workforce early due to undiagnosed spinal fractures.
“With an early diagnosis, these people can remain in paid work until they choose to retire, without having to suffer hardship or sacrifice their careers early.
“Excellent therapies exist, so if the Treasury wants to keep older people in work, it must invest the modest sums needed to make Fracture Liaison Services universal.”
Davina McCall (Image: Getty)
TV presenter and campaigner Davina McCall has spoken out concerning the threat of osteoporosis, writes Jaymi McCann.
The former Big Brother host and Masked Singer choose has already opened up about her personal experiences with menopause and hormone alternative remedy.
HRT not solely relieves most girls of menopause signs, it may well additionally forestall the thinning of bones, which might result in osteoporosis.
Davina stated she aimed to focus on the significance of bone well being in her Channel 4’s taboo-smashing documentary Sex, Myths and Menopause.
She stated: “On our documentary we did a really brilliant thing, using chocolate to show what osteoporosis is like. So people that have osteoporosis, your bones look a bit like an Aero, and people that don’t have osteoporosis your bones look a bit like the inside of a Wispa.
“The Aero means that they’re just more likely to break – or be vulnerable to fractures.”
She mentioned the problem of osteoporosis on the Dr Louise Newson Podcast, which seems at points across the menopause.
Dr Newson, who runs clinics specialising in menopause care, added: “Absolutely. And it is a real hidden disease. I’ve seen so many women and men with osteoporosis with really bad curvature of their spine, and pain because of the fractures. They can’t eat properly and they get loads of chest infections.”
Self-employed mortgage adviser Daryl Phillips was left unable to work for 4 months due to extreme osteoporosis that just about “ruined” her, writes Tony Whitfield.
Even after getting the best remedy Ms Phillips, 58, now has to tempo herself and is not as “super-efficient” as she as soon as was.
Back in September 2021 Ms Phillips by no means imagined the again and hip ache that laid her low was attributable to three fractures to her backbone and one to her pelvis.
The mother-of-two and sole breadwinner all of the sudden discovered herself depending on others for her on a regular basis wants.
It was solely after she used her mom’s inheritance to go non-public, due to lengthy NHS ready lists, that the debilitating situation was recognized in simply 5 minutes after a Dexa scan.
She stated: “I’d never suffered from any back pain before and I thought I’d slipped a disc because I literally could not get out of bed. I had to slide onto the floor and crawl. Within a week it got much worse. I couldn’t stand up.”
Unable to even go to her workplace on the backside of the backyard or tackle new shoppers, her enterprise was severely broken.
She stated: “It really did knock my confidence – I knew what financial effect it would have. It nearly ruined me.
“You can’t tell your clients to wait if they are in a situation where they are moving or coming off a fixed rate.”
Now she says she receives common injections of Prolia (Denosumab) and takes excessive doses of vitamin D and powerful painkillers for the continual nerve ache in her backbone, arm and legs.
She stated: “I used to be a Trojan and super efficient at everything. Now I have to pace myself.”
Her well being authority West Essex doesn't have a Fracture Liaison Service.
Andrew RT Davies (Image: Getty)
Lead an energetic life-style
Being bodily energetic helps to maintain bones robust and wholesome all through life. That’s as a result of your bones reside tissues that get stronger while you use them. For train to be handiest at holding bones robust, you want to mix weight-bearing train with affect and muscle-strengthening train.
Eat properly to your bones
Eating and ingesting the best issues may help help your bone well being at each stage of your life. It’s vital to have meals from all 4 most important meals teams together with fruit and greens, carbohydrates, dairy or plant-based alternate options and proteins from beans, eggs, fish and meat.
Maintain a wholesome physique weight
If underweight or obese, your threat of osteoporosis and damaged bones will increase. That’s why you need to intention to maintain your physique weight within the vary that's wholesome for you.
Get sufficient vitamin D from the solar
Vitamin D helps your physique take up and use calcium, which provides bones their energy and hardness. It additionally helps your muscle tissue keep robust, which reduces your threat of breaking a bone in a fall. You can get vitamin D from protected daylight publicity between April and September, out of your food regimen and from dietary supplements.
Avoid smoking
Smoking slows down the cells that construct bone in your physique. This means smoking might cut back your bone energy, and enhance your threat of breaking a bone. If you’re a girl, smoking additionally will increase your probabilities of earlier menopause.
Post-menopausal ladies have an elevated threat of osteoporosis and breaking a bone. But the nice news is, for those who smoked previously however have since given up, your threat of breaking bones may have began to return to regular.
Drink alcohol carefully
Drinking plenty of alcohol will increase your threat of osteoporosis. In the brief time period, it additionally makes you unsteady in your ft, making you extra more likely to journey, fall and break a bone.
Maintain good steadiness and coordination
There are workout routines and actions you are able to do to enhance your steadiness and coordination. This reduces your threat of slipping, tripping or falling – and doubtlessly breaking a bone.
Understand your threat of osteoporosis and damaged bones
Finding out when you have any threat components for osteoporosis may help you establish issues you might do or change to assist shield your bones.
What is going on the place you reside? Find out by including your postcode or visit InYourArea
● Two-thirds of people that want osteoporosis medication aren't getting them
● Fracture Liaison Services cut back the danger of a second break by as much as 40 %
● More than 4 in 10 in England wouldn't have entry to an FLS
● Fractures attributable to osteoporosis have an effect on half of ladies over 50 and one in 5 males
● 70 % of spinal fractures by no means come to medical consideration, that means 2.6 million persons are struggling
● Spinal fractures are a most important driver for folks leaving the workforce – and likewise a purple flag for a future hip fracture
● Total FLS protection for folks over 50 would forestall 74,000 fractures, together with 31,000 hip fractures over 5 years
● The price would see £3.26 returned for each £1 invested
Write to your MP or different elected consultant and ask them to affix the checklist of supporters for our Better Bones marketing campaign to influence the 4 governments throughout the UK to enhance the inhabitants protection and high quality of specialist clinics.
The Royal Osteoporosis Society has created a template letter that you should utilize to ask them to help the marketing campaign. You can discover it on the ROS web site. The ROS has additionally generated a map to disclose the “postcode lottery” of care throughout the UK.
If you reside in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, you'll be able to write to each your MP and your devolved consultant. Politicians, whether or not within the UK Parliament, Welsh Senedd, Scottish Parliament or Northern Ireland Assembly, all have a big affect over well being coverage and priorities.
The extra Parliamentarians who help our marketing campaign, the higher our likelihood of success in our aim of bettering the inhabitants protection and high quality of Fracture Liaison Services.
● Visit theros.org.uk/write
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