Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will introduce a national screening programme for osteoporosis.

The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) last reviewed the evidence to screen for osteoporosis in postmenopausal women in 2019 and recommended that a population screening programme should not be introduced. The review identified that there were key areas of uncertainty around the test and treatment and that further research was needed.

The UK NSC is due to review its recommendation as per its regular review cycle and Ministers will consider this before making a decision. In the meantime, there is guidance on the assessment, diagnosis and management of osteoporosis from the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence and the National Osteoporosis Guideline Group.