Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to announce funding for improved fracture liaison services across England to avoid a postcode lottery relating to early detection of osteoporosis.

Fracture Liaison Services (FLS) are commissioned by integrated care boards (ICBs) which are well placed to make decisions according to local need. NHS England is also supporting requests from health systems to introduce FLS and other secondary fracture prevention services, including through the Falls and Fragility Fracture Audit Programme.

On 24 January 2023, we announced our plan to publish the Major Conditions Strategy. This strategy will explore how we can tackle the key drivers of ill-health in England, reduce pressure on the National Health Service and reduce ill-health related labour market inactivity. The Strategy will focus on six major groups of conditions including musculoskeletal conditions, such as osteoporosis, and will be published early next year.

As stated in the Major Conditions Strategy: Case for change and our strategic framework, the Government will work together with NHS England to explore supporting the provision of fracture liaison services. The framework was published on GOV.UK on 21 August 2023 in an online-only format.