The UK’s national charity for bone health and osteoporosis has announced plans to move its head office to Bath city centre.
The Royal Osteoporosis Society (ROS), which was founded in 1986, said it would relocate from its base in Camerton, in Somerset, in the spring. It has not yet confirmed where in Bath its new offices will be.
The charity said the move would enable a £1.7m investment programme in research, advertising, political influencing and digital services as part of an ambitious four-year strategy.
The new strategy, 'Breaking the Silence', is in response to record demand for support during the pandemic, according to the ROS.
It said half of women and a fifth of men over 50 would suffer a broken bone because of osteoporosis, with more than half a million such fractures every year costing the NHS £4.6bn annually.
Craig Jones, chief executive of the ROS, said: “Bath has a proud history when it comes to rheumatology. Moving to its impressive city centre will help us become better-connected with universities, hospitals and the public at large.
“We want to seize the moment and beat osteoporosis together. If we succeed, we can transform the experience of later life in this country.”
The charity said even before the pandemic, two-thirds of people were missing out on treatment and a fifth of women who broke a bone would break three or more before even being diagnosed.
The ROS blamed the "postcode lottery" for Fracture Liaison Services (FLS) – the world standard for diagnosis, treatment and follow-up. It said only half (51%) of NHS trusts in England and Wales provide access to an FLS and claimed around 90,000 people every year are missing out on medication they need to keep their bones strong.
According to Mr Jones, the charity's new strategy will see investment in research and influencing to close the treatment gap, alongside an advertising campaign to warn people at high risk.
He added: “Osteoporosis is one of the most urgent public health crises of the modern era. The pandemic has widened the treatment gap to eye-watering levels, meaning action is now beyond the point of urgency.
"Our new strategy will put bone health at the top of the public health agenda and keep it there, while transforming the culture around osteoporosis from passivity to determination."
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