Bone Diseases: Health Services

(asked on 20th July 2021) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure adequate succession planning within the NHS for (1) osteoporosis, and (2) bone health specialists.


Answered by
Lord Bethell Portrait
Lord Bethell
This question was answered on 2nd August 2021

Individual National Health Service trusts are responsible for ensuring staffing arrangements are in place which deliver safe and effective care, including succession planning.

Osteoporosis and other bone health conditions are treated by a range of healthcare professionals, such as general practitioners (GPs), endocrinologists, rheumatologists and orthopaedic surgeons. Since 2010, the number of endocrinologists has increased by over 58%, rheumatologists by over 29% and trauma and orthopaedic surgeons by over 24%. We also have over 900 more full-time equivalent GPs March 2021, compared to March 2020. We continue to monitor the NHS’s workforce requirements and ensure that the NHS has the staff that it needs, including for the treatment of osteoporosis and bone health.

Reticulating Splines