Only three life-saving fracture liaison services have opened since Labour came to power, despite a promise to expand them across the country. It means half of all NHS trusts still don’t have a specialist service to detect osteoporosis, which contributes to thousands of deaths every year. Health Secrerary Wes Streeting’s failure to act is putting lives at risk, Tories said.
Shadow Health Minister Caroline Johnson said: “Wes Streeting’s deluge of broken promises is raining down on patient safety like a hailstorm.” She warned: “Wes needs to get his act together and deliver on his promise because otherwise people are going to come to unnecessary harm.”
Some 3.5 million people in the UK suffer with osteoporosis, which weakens bones and increases the risk of fractures, but many people with the condition go undiagnosed. It leaves them at risk of fractures that could have been avoided and can lead to death.
The Royal Osteoporosis Society is calling for Fracture Liaison Services to be rolled out nationwide, warning that the current “postcode lottery” means an estimated 2,500 people die each year following hip fractures that could have been prevented.
Mr Streeting promised in opposition that one of his first acts in government would be to task NHS England with developing a “rollout plan” to provide the services.
But freedom of information requests submitted by Conservatives found only three new services have opened so far, in Buckinghamshire, Kingston and Leeds, while 49% of NHS Trusts in England still do not have a fracture liaison service.
Ms Johnson said: “This is, quite literally, an accident waiting to happen – on Labour’s watch.
“Wes Streeting promised universal fracture liaison services as a first priority by 2030. But at his current snail’s pace, it will be 2055 before this is achieved – 29 years from now.”
Ministers say a 10-Year Health Plan is committed to rolling out Fracture Liaison Services across every part of the country by 2030.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We will roll out fracture liaison services across every part of the country by 2030, as set out in our 10 Year Health Plan.
“We are also ensuring people with bone conditions get diagnosed earlier through our investment in high-tech DEXA scanners, which will provide an extra 29,000 scans every year.”
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We will roll out fracture liaison services across every part of the country by 2030, as set out in our 10 Year Health Plan.
“We are also ensuring people with bone conditions get diagnosed earlier through our investment in high-tech DEXA scanners, which will provide an extra 29,000 scans every year.”
