A new service has been launched by NHS Forth Valley for people suffering with osteoporosis. It will provide DXA scans locally, face-to-face and telephone appointments, medication reviews and treatments.

There are also future plans to offer education sessions and a helpline which can be contacted via email or phone.

Osteoporosis affects more than 3 million people in the UK. Every year it results in more than 500,000 people receiving hospital treatment for fragility fractures (which result from an incident that wouldn’t normally cause a fracture, such as a fall from standing height or less).

Kris Robertson, NHS Forth Valley’s Operational Manager for Neurology, Rheumatology, Osteoporosis and the Fracture Liaison Service, said: “It has been an amazing privilege to get this important new service off the ground. Local people across Forth Valley have been looking for this service for a while now and I’m happy that we have listened and delivered.

“We have taken our time to get the right people into post so not only do we have an osteoporosis service, but we have one that we can be proud of, led by a very enthusiastic team of specialists.”

The service is staffed by a Consultant Rheumatologist, specialist nurse, a Fracture Liaison team, radiographers, and a specialist pharmacist.

Nursing staff will be running clinics four times a week reviewing around six patients in each clinic. Radiographers will be scanning patients five days a week and reporting on those scans weekly. GPs will have direct access to DXA and be able refer local patients to the scanning department. Staff in GP practices will also be able to refer patients to the new clinics, and patients who have suffered a fracture and are being treated in hospital, will be reviewed in line with SIGN guidelines.

Background

Osteoporosis is a health condition that weakens bones, making them fragile and more likely to break. It develops slowly over several years and is often only diagnosed when a fall or sudden impact causes a bone to break (fracture).