The Better Bones Campaign

Better Bones has been a successful campaign to close the osteoporosis treatment gap by winning Ministerial pledges to roll out early diagnosis services (called Fracture Liaison Services), which are currently missing in half of Trusts. When implemented, we will prevent 74,000 catastrophic fractures within five years.

During a 100-week partnership with the Sunday Express, Better Bones has blended advocacy, grassroots mobilisation and political engagement, keeping osteoporosis high on the health agenda through two governments and an election. Messaging highlighted integrated care, healthy ageing, preventing illness and tackling worklessness, while a broad coalition of clinicians, patients, unions and celebrities amplified the call.

Impact is already visible. In England, all parties now back universal FLS coverage; 13 new high-tech bone scanners have been rolled out, and the UK Government enshrined its commitment to people with osteoporosis in its NHS 10 Year Health Plan. Wales has set up FLS in every Health Board and pledged to meet clinical standards by 2030, averting an estimated 4,400 fractures in five years. Scotland has also funded an audit of FLS performance to guide improvement.

By closing the care gap and reframing osteoporosis as a preventable public health issue, the Better Bones campaign is securing the most important policy change in memory for osteoporosis patients.