South East London leads national conversation on osteoporosis care
Members of the South East London (SEL) Osteoporosis Treatment Pathway Task and Finish Group (a multidisciplinary group under the South East London Integrated Medicines Optimisation Committee) proudly represented the South East London Integrated Care System at the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Osteoporosis and Bone Health at Parliament (Portcullis House) on Wednesday 3rd December 2025, bringing national attention to our innovative work in SEL.
Osteoporosis is known as a ‘silent condition’ because its progression is often invisible until someone breaks a bone. Half of women over the age of 50 and one fifth of men will break a bone due to osteoporosis and 66% of people in the UK at high risk of fragility fractures are not on any treatment for the management of osteoporosis.
The SEL Osteoporosis Treatment Pathway has been recognised and commended by the Royal Osteoporosis Society (ROS) as being of high quality. The ROS support the APPG for Osteoporosis and Bone Health and are conducting an inquiry into how patients are supported and empowered to manage their condition over the long term. As part of this inquiry, a report is being published early next year, and the ROS will be featuring the SEL Osteoporosis Treatment Pathway in this report as being exemplary.
The APPG for Osteoporosis and Bone Health meeting included sessions which focused on using digital solutions to support Falls Liaison Services and lived experiences from a ROS patient representative. The session presented by SEL ICS colleagues highlighted the rationale and the principles behind the development of the SEL Osteoporosis Treatment Pathway, key successes, learning points, and opportunities for national improvement in osteoporosis care which included:
- Building bone first through promoting early diagnosis of osteoporosis and the first-line use of evidence-based anabolic treatments in high risk patient groups i.e. patients with imminent fracture risk
- Strengthening collaboration across Integrated Care Systems to develop treatment pathways modelled on the SEL Osteoporosis Treatment Pathway, ensuring seamless, patient-centred care across primary and secondary care settings
- Education and enabling of key stakeholders (primary and secondary care, and medical and allied health professional) providing the necessary tools for osteoporosis management to be delivered by all health professionals, as part of routine clinical practice
The APPG session was attended by key members of the SEL Osteoporosis Treatment Pathway Task and Finish Group:
- Dr Charles Rain (current group chair and Consultant Rheumatologist – GSTT)
- Dr Fionna Martin (previous group chair and Consultant Physician and Geriatrician – GSTT)
- Professor Emma Duncan (Honorary Endocrinology Consultant – GSTT and Professor of Clinical Endocrinology – KCL)
- Hira Saeed (Highly Specialist Pharmacist – GSTT)
- Adeola Olukosi (Lead Pharmacist – SEL ICB)
Lord Black of Brentwood, Co-chair of the APPG for Osteoporosis and Bone Health, conveyed his profound thanks for the participation of SEL ICS colleagues, finding their insights as health care professionals “incredibly illuminating and exceptionally well presented”.
This opportunity provided an excellent platform to highlight the outstanding initiatives across the South East London Integrated Care System, demonstrating our ongoing commitment to improving patient care through collaboration.