IMPROVED SERVICES FOR OSTEOPOROSIS SUFFERERS

Early day motion 280, tabled 4 December 2002 by John Austin (Labour). Signed by 145 members.

That this House is concerned that one in three women and one in 12 men over the age of 50 years are affected by the painful and disabling fragile bone disease, osteoporosis; is alarmed to learn that the cost of repairing the United Kingdom's 310,000 osteoporotic fractures each year is £1.7 billion while fewer than one in 10 patients with osteoporosis receive any treatment to prevent further fractures; congratulates the National Ostoporosis Society on its work as the only national charity dedicated to improving the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of the disease; welcomes the recent referral of osteoporosis to the National Institute for Clinical Excellence; and urges the Government to invest now in the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of this disease to ensure that all patients attending fall or fracture clinics or in high risk groups for breaking bones are assessed for osteoporosis and put on appropriate treatment to prevent further fracture or first fractures.

Signatures by party: Labour 86, Liberal Democrat 23, Conservative 21, Labour/Co-operative 9, Scottish National Party 2, UUP 2, DUP 1, Plaid Cymru 1.