The Government has been urged to include questions about bone health in the NHS Health Check.

The Royal Osteoporosis Society said Health Secretary Wes Streeting’s decision to ask about the menopause now offers a “prime opportunity” to deliver on his pledge for early diagnosis of osteoporosis.

So the charity wants it to also check about bone health for both men and women.

As part of the Sunday Express Better Bones campaign, in conjunction with the ROS, the minister vowed to rollout specialist bone clinics across England to end a postcode lottery
for early diagnosis of the bone weakening condition.

The NHS Health Check, a five-yearly assessment available to people aged 40-74, could prevent the pain of avoidable fractures and keep people in work if questions about bone health are included in it, particularly for women around the menopause.

Hormonal changes, specifically a sharp decline in oestrogen, weaken bones and increase sharply the risk of osteoporosis and fractures.

The Government says the inclusion of menopause-related questions will benefit almost five million women, but broadening it out to bone health for both sexes could help even more.

Some 3.5 million people in the UK are estimated to have osteoporosis, while half of women and 20% of men over 50 will break a bone because of it.

Craig Jones, CEO of the ROS, which has offered the Government expert input on how a bone health question could be framed, said: “We warmly welcome the Government’s announcement that menopause questions will be included in NHS Health Checks.

“We ask ministers to cover bone health as one of those new questions, so women going through menopause have a chance to consider their risk of debilitating fractures.”