Hampstead, the worst place to break a bone
LEAFY, affluent Hampstead in north-west London is a much sought-after place to live. However, a new study has found that it’s also the worst place in Britain to have a fracture.
In the study, the Royal Osteoporosis Society (ROS) mapped nationwide data on how long patients with hip fractures need to wait for surgery with information on which areas have no Fracture Liaison Services – a ‘dangerous combination’, according to the ROS.
It then used the findings to draw up a list of the UK’s ten worst performing hospitals when it comes to broken bones.
The list is topped by the Royal Free Hospital in London, close to Hampstead Heath.
Fracture Liaison Services (FLS) are vital for the early detection of osteoporosis, a condition which puts sufferers at a higher risk of breaking bones. FLS can reduce the risk of a serious broken hip by catching patients after the first, usually minor, fracture and putting them on medication to prevent subsequent breaks.
The Mail on Sunday is campaigning for the roll-out of FLS in every NHS Trust in England and Wales. (Scotland already has 100 per cent coverage.) Currently they are available in only just over half, leaving tens of thousands of people – mainly women – without treatment.
Labour MP Judith Cummins, who co-chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Osteoporosis and Bone Health, said: ‘This research highlights the life-changing role that Fracture Liaison Services play and paints a grim picture of the geographical inequality in access to care across the UK. A timely FLS assessment after that first break can lead to earlier diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis, preventing painful, sometimes major breaks from ever happening.
‘Now is the time to act to end the injustice of this postcode lottery.’
Establishing FLS in all NHS Trusts would cost just £30million a year while freeing up hospital beds and preventing people from dropping out of the workforce, campaigners have argued.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: ‘We are working with NHS England to explore the provision of Fracture Liaison Services across the country. We’re also taking longer-term decisions to look at how we can better manage and treat osteoporosis through our Major Conditions Strategy.’