A NEWPORT woman living with osteoperosis says that her condition could have been picked up earlier if she hadn't been at the mercy of a "postcode lottery" for treatment.

Jane Anstice is 71 years old and lives in Newport.

She suffered a fracture when she was 58, while on holiday in Tunisia.

South Wales Argus:

"I’d just tripped over on a pavement, so I was quite surprised to have found out broken a bone when I returned to the UK," she explained.

"I discussed osteoporosis possibility with my GP, and he said it was unlikely as I was a normal weight, had a good diet, did regular weight-bearing exercise and was a non-smoker."

Osteoporosis causes bones to weaken and break more easily.

The condition affects half of women over 50 in Wales, as well as a fifth of men.

Ms Anstice wasn't referred to any Fracture Liaison Service (FLS), and risk factors for osteoporosis which she had - having been previously treated for breast cancer, and being post-menopausal - weren’t flagged.

"I broke my left wrist six weeks later, and I was then sent for a bone density scan," she said.

"Over the course of the next 10 years, I experienced six fractures.

“I think if there had been an FLS in my area at the time my osteoporosis would have been picked up after the first fracture."

Fractures caused by osteoporosis can lead to life-long disability, but with a timely diagnosis and the right care people can prevent fractures and live well.

An inquiry by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Osteoporosis and Bone Health found that only 66 per cent of the population of over 50s across Wales have access to an FLS.

In comparison, 100 per cent of people in Scotland and Northern Ireland are covered.

Now, the UK’s osteoporosis charity, the Royal Osteoporosis Society, has hailed the strategy announced by the health minister, Eluned Morgan, committing to 100 per cent population coverage of FLS across all health boards, by September 2024.

This bold plan will, the ROS say, end the "postcode lottery which is currently leaving 7,500 people across Wales at risk of preventable fractures (broken bones), many of which will cause life-altering disability".

"My daughter is 39 and I think about her bone health often," Ms Anstice said.

"It gives me confidence to know that she will be taken more seriously with increased FLS and funding towards these services.”

Craig Jones, chief executive of the ROS said: “We’ve been calling for a strong, top-down mandate that everyone - no matter where they live - deserves equal access to quality fracture care.

"We’re calling on health leaders across the UK to watch Wales carefully as it moves towards becoming best in class for osteoporosis care.”