Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the impact of joint working between (a) health services, (b) social care services and (c) local councils on the prevention of fractures caused by osteoporosis.

The integration white paper, ‘Joining up care for people, places and populations’, published on 9 February 2022, set out opportunities to progress further to join up health and social care services at a local level for citizens in England.

To support this joint working, the Government will invest £1.6 billion over the next two years through the Better Care Fund to improve hospital discharge and outcomes for people with long term conditions, including osteoporosis.

The Government has also set out national requirements for local authorities and integrated care boards to jointly spend nearly £17 billion over the next two years to invest in preventative services and tackle delayed discharges.

The Major Conditions Strategy is an opportunity to tackle musculoskeletal conditions, including osteoporosis, to improve outcomes for patients. The strategy will set out a clear vision for musculoskeletal conditions, covering treatment and prevention.