- Cymraeg
- English
 |
Peter Black and South Wales West Liberal DemocratsRepresenting Aberavon, Bridgend, Gower, Neath, Ogmore, Port Talbot, and Swansea |
 |
Welsh Liberal Democrats call for hospitals in Wales to provide Fracture Liaison Services for patients
March 4, 2010 1:58 PM
The Welsh Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Minister, Peter Black, has written to Edwina Hart, Minister for Health and Social Services, asking her to support National Osteoporosis Society's campaign to establish universal access to Fracture Liaison Services in Wales.
150,000 people in Wales have osteoporosis and fractures which result from the disease are painful, debilitating, and can also be life-threatening.
Fracture Liaison Services identify, assess and offer bone-protecting treatments to older patients with osteoporosis and a recently published report shows that they can reduce a patient's chances of fracturing by up to 50%.
The report also reveals that establishing Fracture Liaison Services across Wales can save the NHS and social care around £3 million in a five-year period.
However, of the NHS hospitals in Wales that receive fragility fracture patients, only a quarter provide Fracture Liaison Services for outpatients. Just 40% provide an inpatient Fracture Liaison Services.
Commenting on this, Peter Black said, "Fracture Liaison Services are proven to be effective in preventing fracture in patients with osteoporosis. Fractures in old people can be traumatic. They can affect people's mobility and have a major impact on their independence."
"Implementing the services across Wales will not only benefit people with the disease, but will also make a considerable saving for the NHS and social care, because treating and caring fracture patients is costly."
What would you like to do next?
-
Subscribe for updates
Follow the party's activity on...
- Twitter:
- Liberal Democrats
- Facebook:
- Liberal Democrats
- YouTube:
- Liberal Democrats