A moving video showing the horror of osteoporosis and the desperate need for extra funding was shown to the public to mark World Osteoporosis Day.
The Royal Osteoporosis Society broadcast the film on the streets of Whitehall, putting the plight of millions in front of an influential audience on Friday.
It featured people who have shared their stories of suffering with the Sunday Express. Many had to resort to paying for private health care to diagnose their condition because of inadequate resources in their local area.
Lesley, 65, from Rugby, said: “It took over six years for my diagnosis and I’m still in pain, all of the time. I’m four inches shorter, I’ve lost weight, I’ve lost my appetite. It completely changes you, it changes everything in your life.”
Some 90,000 people a year are missing out on medication, despite the fact that if the disease is caught after the first break it can be controlled.
Siobhan, 62, from Bedfordshire, said: “When I was 52 I tripped and fractured my ankle. I went to A&E, was patched up and sent home.
“Eight years later I was running and developed severe pain in my back. I paid for an MRI and a CT scan and they showed I had spinal fractures caused by osteoporosis.
“I used to really love my job but I haven’t worked since lockdown.”