ROS welcome the PM’s funding to tackle NHS backlogs, but the treatment gap for osteoporosis goes back a long way

The ROS has today welcomed the £5.4bn of additional funding for the NHS announced by the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson. But the charity warns that historic under-funding of osteoporosis services means the pre-pandemic standard of care was also failing people living with the condition.  

Craig Jones, Chief Executive, said:

“This new funding for the NHS from the government is welcome, but the treatment gap for osteoporosis was already startlingly wide before the pandemic.  The long-standing postcode lottery for Fracture Liaison Services has resulted in 90,000 people every year missing out on the osteoporosis treatment they need, a situation which has been exacerbated by COVID-19 crisis.

"With our support services, including our Helpline, continuing to be in record demand, we urge Government to use the Spending Review to level up osteoporosis services and end the problem of under-treatment, which has been worsened by – rather than created by – the pandemic.”

ROS figures show that only 62% of the population have access to an FLS due to gaps in local services. During the recent the lockdown, the ROS found that 15% of existing FLSs remained closed and 79% of DXA services still had capacity reduced by more than 50% in order to be COVID-safe.