Free osteoporosis Helpline

You don’t need a medical problem to contact the Helpline. You are welcome to ask any question you may have about osteoporosis or bone health, whether it is about you, or a friend or family member. You can get in touch via letter, email or phone call.

It is always better to phone if you have lots of questions or they are complex. This allows for discussion about your situation which is more difficult via email.

Many people with pain, and other problems associated with broken bones, get in touch for help and emotional support.

Although the nurses are unable to provide counselling or a general befriending service, they often have the skills and information to help.

If you are feeling desperate and the Helpline is busy, you can contact the Samaritans on 116 123, www.samaritans.org or NHS Direct on 111, www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk

We are currently experiencing high levels of demand. If all our nurses are busy, you will be placed in a queue. If you have to wait for more than 5 minutes you will be given the option to hang up and receive a call back when you reach the front of the queue.

Our average wait time is currently about seven minutes, but can be longer. We are generally a bit quieter in the middle of the week, or at the beginning or end of the day.

If you prefer and your query is relatively simple, you can send an email to nurses@theros.org.uk, or a letter to Royal Osteoporosis Society, St James House, The Square, Lower Bristol Road, Bath, BA2 3BH.

The nurses provide up-to-date information based on the latest medical research, and can discuss your situation to help you feel more informed, but they cannot give you direct advice.

They can also explain how osteoporosis is currently managed by the NHS, so you know what to expect from your doctor, and how decisions may be made about your treatment.

Information is not intended to replace the advice that your own doctor can provide.

If you need urgent help then ring 999 for the emergency services.

Our nurses answer questions about:

• understanding osteoporosis, and what a diagnosis means
• drug treatments
• risks for fracture
• scans and tests
• exercise
• healthy eating
• other lifestyle changes
• managing pain and other problems caused by fragility fractures

and many other issues about osteoporosis and bone health.

The nurses use your personal information (such as name and address) if you request information via post.

The information is confidential within the team. They will not pass on your details to anyone else. In order to comply with the law, or the nurses' professional code of conduct, there are rare situations when confidentiality may be broken. This could be an act relating to terrorism or when the caller is at risk of serious harm from themselves or others.

Some demographic information is collected at the end of the call, but this is stored anonymously in a way that cannot identify you.

The Helpline telephone number won’t appear in any itemised phone bill.

Calls are recorded and monitored for training purposes. This is an important part of maintaining quality on the Helpline. If you wish not to be recorded you will be given the opportunity to continue the call without being recorded.

All calls are kept confidential to the Helpline team, retained for only 6 months, and destroyed securely after use. This complies with the requirements of the current Data Protection legislation and the European General Data Protection Regulation.

Please send any comments or complaints about the service to the Helpline Manager/Senior Osteoporosis Nurse, Julia Thomson: julia.thomson@theros.org.uk