WIREDGOV

New standards to improve the care and treatment of bone health issues and prevent more people suffering painful and debilitating fractures have been published.

Fractures affect half of women over the age of 50, and a fifth of men, and can have significant impacts on a person’s quality of life.

The new Quality Statement for Osteoporosis and Bone Health provides a framework for the delivery of care, including prevention, treatment and supporting recovery, for people suffering with bone conditions like osteoporosis.

And it includes a new commitment to meeting the 80/50/80 standard by 2030 – this requires 80% of fracture patients to be identified; 50% to be put onto bone treatment and 80% followed up after 12 months to ensure they are following treatment, and their risk of further fractures is minimised.

Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care Jeremy Miles said:

We are setting out our vision for the best possible care and treatment for people’s bone health in Wales and ensuring we promote bone health throughout a person’s lifetime.

The standards for osteoporosis and bone health have been developed in collaboration with the national clinical leads for osteoporosis and bone health, the strategic clinical network for musculoskeletal health and third sector partners.

The development of the quality statement follows the roll-out of fracture liaison services across Wales.

Good bone health and osteoporosis care will be delivered by targeting five key groups, with an initial focus on fracture prevention in the most vulnerable and those with unmet needs.

The priority groups include fragility fracture in those above 50 years; primary fracture prevention in frailty and dementia; bone health in high-risk groups; bone health in post-menopausal women; and bone health in Wales.

Each health board has made a long-term commitment to continue to develop and improve their services to support the needs of their local communities and to reduce the impact falls and fractures have on individuals and the NHS.

Dr Inder Singh, Wales’ national clinical lead for falls and fragility said:

I am pleased to mark the publication of the quality statement for bone health, which will support our NHS to plan and deliver bone health services the people of Wales deserve.

This work was not carried out in isolation, and I would like to thank all of those who gave their time and support to help us develop a collaborative and inclusive set of standards.

I look forward to continuing to work with health boards, our dedicated third sector and government to implement these standards and achieve our shared national goals.

Craig Jones, CEO of the Royal Osteoporosis Society, welcomed the new standards.

He said:

Osteoporosis is one of the most urgent threats to people in Wales living well in later life – especially women.  That’s why these early diagnosis services are so crucial, as they give people access to safe, effective medication that can prevent broken bones and enable them to live independently.

The Welsh Government has set out a credible path to giving everyone over 50 access to a high-quality local service by 2030. When the government achieves this, we’ll be able to give people back the future they deserve. No more broken bones. No more broken lives.