Scanner joy for Sunday Express bone campaign

THE SUNDAY Express's Better Bones campaign has secured a major victory with the Government's announcement it is rolling out 13 bone scanners across England.

- By Lucy Johnston SOCIAL AFFAIRS EDITOR

It is a crucial step in tackling the silent epidemic of osteoporosis and transforming bone health care for thousands.

In a huge win for our campaign, Health Secretary Wes Streeting today confirmed the delivery of the dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scanners - with 29,000 extra scans expected to be carried out every year.

Of the 13 new scanners, seven will be delivered to areas underserved by bone health services including West Yorkshire and North East Lincolnshire giving better access to patients in rural and deprived communities.

The remaining six will replace outdated machines to increase reliability and capacity.

Osteoporosis is a devastating, but often hidden, condition that weakens bones and causes tens of thousands of painful and life-altering fractures every year. One in two women and one in five men will suffer a fracture due to the condition in their lifetime and in many cases, they don't even know they have it until it is too late.