Government criticised for failing to roll out osteoporosis screening clinics in England – after it was revealed that NHS Wales has done so with ‘relatively little investment’

The Government has been criticised for failing to roll out osteoporosis screening clinics in England – after it was revealed that NHS Wales has done so with ‘relatively little investment’.

Since 2024, The Mail on Sunday and the Royal Osteoporosis Society have campaigned for full access across the UK to these bone-thinning clinics to help prevent life-changing fractures.

Osteoporosis, the advanced form of osteopenia primarily affects women and is often not picked up until serious injuries occur – which is why experts say screening is crucial.

When the War On Osteoporosis campaign began, osteoporosis screening was available in all NHS hospitals in Scotland and Northern Ireland – but not England and Wales.

Prior to the 2024 General Election, the Government committed to funding full access to osteoporosis screening across the country but has failed to take any action since.

Now The Mail on Sunday can reveal that these clinics are in all hospitals in Wales, leaving England as the only home nation to not have full access.

The Wales clinics were set up by Dr Inderpal Singh, a geriatrician and NHS Wales lead for bone health, who was able to get the service off the ground with just over £1million in funding and 24 new staff.

Since these clinics, known as fracture liaison services, were set up, the number of osteoporosis diagnoses in Wales has risen by 191 per cent.

The Royal Osteoporosis Society says the achievement shows the Government could cheaply and quickly roll out these clinics across England.

‘Dr Singh and his colleagues have shown what can be achieved when a government backs its promises with action,’ says Ruth Wakeman, director of services at the Royal Osteoporosis Society.

‘In Wales, a relatively small investment in fracture liaison services has helped drive a 191 per cent increase in the number of patients identified through these services. Over the same period, England has seen an increase of 3 per cent, with progress effectively flatlining. Fracture liaison services are one of the smartest investments the NHS can make.

‘They prevent life-changing fractures, help people stay independent, reduce pressure on hospitals and social care and typically pay for themselves within 18 to 24 months.

‘Very few NHS interventions deliver such a big return for such modest cost.’

The Royal Osteoporosis Society estimates 2,500 people die every year in Britain from the debilitating effects of preventable hip fractures.

After the campaign by the MoS and Royal Osteoporosis Society was launched, then shadow health secretary Wes Streeting made a pre-election promise to end a postcode lottery and have a universal fracture liaison service by 2030. However, since then, the Government has failed to publish a plan to fund and build the clinics.

Dr Singh developed a computer program that identifies patients in Welsh hospitals who have suffered a fracture and refers them to a fracture liaison clinic.

The Royal Osteoporosis Society and The Mail on Sunday are urging Health Secretary Yvette Cooper to deliver on pre-election promises to fund nationwide screening by 2030

He says this means that the system does not rely on busy clinicians referring patients themselves. Patients then undergo a bone-density test, called a DEXA scan.

The Royal Osteoporosis Society says that the new Health Secretary Yvette Cooper should take inspiration from Dr Singh’s work.

‘Yvette Cooper has inherited an important commitment that could transform care for millions of people, particularly women, who are disproportionately affected by osteoporosis,’ says Ms Wakeman. ‘Wales has shown what is possible with clear leadership, a practical plan and relatively little investment.

‘We look forward to working with her as the new Health Secretary to bring the same pace and purpose to England.’

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: ‘We remain committed to rolling out fracture liaison services by 2030, as set out in our 10 Year Health Plan.

‘We’re also taking action in the meantime by investing in 20 new state-of-the-art DEXA scanners across the country, building on the first wave of 13 last year.’