Postcode lottery raises threat of osteoporsis going undetected | Politics | News | EUROtoday

Campaigners are dismayed on the lack of companies in England to identify and deal with osteoporosis at an early stage – and now there are worries about bone well being in Scotland as effectively. Scotland blazed a path within the creating “fracture liaison services” which specialize in recognizing warning indicators that somebody might have the harmful illness.

There at the moment are worries there could also be important gaps in provision and the Royal Osteoporosis Society desires the findings of a promised audit of companies revealed. It is feared virtually 200,000 folks in Scotland live with undiagnosed spinal fractures. The charity claims osteoporosis impacts round 250,000 folks in Scotland, with fractures the “fourth worst cause of premature death and disability in Scotland”. Half of girls over 50 and one-fifth of males are anticipated to interrupt a bone resulting from osteoporosis.

Pam Duncan-Glancy, a Labour member of the Scottish Parliament and convener of the cross-party group on arthritis and musculoskeletal situations, stated: “It’s regrettable that the Scottish Government has failed to deliver on its commitment to implement a national audit of Fracture Liaison Services. The audit would assess the performance of these clinics to ensure more patients receive timely and appropriate treatment…

“The failure to deliver on this commitment means patients are still navigating a postcode lottery in service provision. The Scottish Government must now deliver this national audit at pace”.

Craig Jones, chief govt of the Royal Osteoporosis Society, warned: “We’re getting increasingly worried about the scale of avoidable deaths and disability in Scotland, owing to the weaknesses in coverage and quality of fracture services, but these gaps remain hidden from politicians because there’s no audit. Two years ago, Ministers agreed to audit these services, but still nothing has changed.

“Today, the Scottish Government seems unwilling even to say that 100% coverage of these life-saving services is their policy, unlike the Governments in England and Wales. Scotland was the birthplace of modern fracture care, inspiring bone services in 57 countries, so this slip-back is a huge shame, and we appeal to Scottish Ministers to work with us to reverse it.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson stated: “We recognise the importance of identifying, assessing and offering treatment to those at the highest risk of preventable fractures. “We have commissioned Public Health Scotland to deliver an audit of fracture liaison services with the aim of driving improvement and reducing variation in practice across Scotland.”