Osteoporosis diagnosis rates in England are barely budging, with only 79,553 patients identified in 2025 — a fraction of the 264,000 needed annually. The Royal Osteoporosis Society warns that uneven access to Fracture Liaison Services (FLS) creates a "postcode lottery," and at the current pace, the government's rollout pledge won't be fulfilled until 2064.
Osteoporosis diagnosis in England is effectively stalled, according to the Royal Osteoporosis Society, which is calling on the government to urgently expand access to Fracture Liaison Services (FLS) — specialist clinics that identify and manage patients at risk of fractures. Despite a pre-election Labour pledge to roll out FLS nationwide, just over half of NHS trusts currently have one, leaving millions without timely access to care.
The Society warns that the condition — which affects an estimated 3.5 million people in the UK — is often only caught after a bone has already broken, by which point significant damage may be done. Broken bones from osteoporosis are the UK's fourth biggest cause of disability and early death, with half of women over 50 and one in five men expected to suffer a fracture due to the condition.
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Why it matters: With osteoporosis silently affecting millions and fractures causing lasting disability, the gap between political promises and real-world delivery is costing lives. Advocates are pushing for a concrete implementation plan before Parliament's summer recess.
