A SWINDON woman who suffered three fractures is calling for an end to the postcode lottery which allocates care for her bone-weakening condition.

Bev Cejar broke her wrist after slipping on some ice and asked her doctor if the injury could be linked to osteoporosis – but due to a lack of available fracture liaison services (FLS) in the area, she was not diagnosed until years later.

The 64-year-old trained nurse had her first fracture in her mid-50s before falling off her bike at 60 and fracturing her shoulder then breaking her pelvis in a skiing accident two years later.

She knew osteoporosis could be to blame but none of the doctors and consultants she mentioned this to acted on her concerns. The diagnosis only came about after she paid for a scan which revealed the true extent of her health issues.

Bev said: “I had a good awareness of osteoporosis as a condition and I considered myself quite conscious about my bone health.

“After the third big fracture, I decided to take myself for a DXA scan privately and the results determined that I have osteoporosis.

“I was really upset by this news, and a little bit angry that earlier opportunities to start treatment had potentially been missed. I now know that at the time of my fracture, I had clear risk factors that were missed.

“Had there been a fracture liaison service in place, I feel the right questions would have been asked after my first fracture and steps would have been put in place to have a timely diagnosis and effective treatment and care.”

An All-Party Parliamentary Group’s inquiry on osteoporosis and bone health revealed that only half of NHS trusts in England and Wales have FLS, while all people in Scotland and Northern Ireland can access the service.

The service assesses people over 50 who have broken a bone, helps identify any underlying osteoporosis, and provides access to safe, effective medication to prevent further fractures.

Swindon is one of the areas which are disadvantaged by the postcode lottery for quality osteoporosis treatment, according to a campaign from the UKs only charity dedicated to osteoporosis and bone health.

The Royal Osteoporosis Society has launched the campaign to end widespread inequality around osteoporosis treatment and care.

The ROS is calling on health leaders in Swindon to take urgent action to protect people living locally from the pain of preventable fractures.

Chief executive Craig Jones said: “Even before the pandemic, two-thirds of people were missing out on the treatment they need for osteoporosis.

“This is causing unnecessary pain, disability and loss of independence – much of which is preventable. We must call time on the vast inequalities in osteoporosis healthcare facing tens of thousands of people across England and Wales.

“By ensuring 100 per cent access to FLSs across the whole of the UK we can transform people’s experience of later life and take enormous pressure off the shoulders of our recovering NHS.”

Sign the petition at theros.org.uk/how-you-can-help/campaign-with-us/campaign-for-100-fls/

Osteoporosis affects 3.5 million people in the UK. One in two women and one in five men will break a bone after the age of 50.1 Bev is not alone in this story.

People who have suffered their first fracture are at higher risk of further fractures, yet evidence shows a third of people had to wait over a year for a diagnosis after their first broken bone and almost one in five had to wait more than five years. During this time, they are unknowingly at risk of more painful, life-limiting broken bones.