Mark of Excellence for Better Bones Campaign

The ROS were presented with a ‘Mark of Excellence’ at a ceremony held by the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) on 26 June.  

CIPR is the world’s only Royal Chartered professional body for public relations practitioners. The CIPR Excellence Awards, which took place at The Royal Lancaster London, recognised the achievements of the most inspirational campaigns, projects and communications professionals around the globe. 

The Mark of Excellence was awarded in the ‘Not for Profit campaign’ category, in recognition of the work the charity has done to improve access to life-saving bone-strengthening drugs through its Better Bones campaign with the Sunday Express.  

Fracture Liaison Service (FLS) are the gold standard for systematically identifying, assessing and treating anyone who breaks a bone after age 50, but prior to the campaign these vital services were missing in half of NHS trusts in England. The achievement comes as the 46-week campaign successfully secured the commitment of Health Secretary Victoria Atkins to 100% FLS coverage.   

The campaign sought to address the FLS postcode lottery, giving everyone equal access to osteoporosis treatment and care. In addition to the Health Secretary’s promise, Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting also matched the commitment, meaning that both main parties of Government are now pledging universal FLS coverage as a result of the campaign. 

Craig Jones, Chief Executive at the ROS, said:  

“We’re delighted to see the determination and hard work invested by everyone involved in the Better Bones campaign recognised at the CIPR Excellence Awards.  

“Thanks to the unwavering support of the Sunday Express, we’ve shown why osteoporosis deserves a place at the top of the public health agenda, and highlighted the enormous opportunities to change and save lives.”