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Written question asked by Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative) on Wednesday, 22 July 2026, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 5 August 2026. It was answered by Baroness Merron (Labour) on Monday, 28 September 2026 on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care.

Fractures: Health Services

Question

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Baroness Merron on 6 July (HL Deb cols 2–3), how many Fracture Liaison Services were operating in England in (1) 2023, (2) 2024, and (3) 2025; how many were operating on the latest date for which figures are available; and what definition they use of an operating Fracture Liaison Service.

Answer

The Falls and Fragility Fracture Audit Programme, which includes a dedicated Fracture Liaison Service (FLS) database, is a clinical audit of fracture prevention care, delivered by the Royal College of Physicians. The FLS database collects, measures, and reports on the care provided by FLSs in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

The data is based on an annual data collection from all FLSs that have registered and participated in the audit in a given year. The following table shows the latest estimates of the number of FLSs in England for the years 2023, 2024, and 2025. Complete data for 2026 is not yet available, and data for 2025 is still being updated:

Year

Estimated number of FLSs in England

2023

68

2024

73

2025

78

Source: the FLS Database, accessed on 20 August 2026.

The FLS Database does not provide specific dates for when each service became operational, nor does it provide estimates of how many patients have been identified by FLSs on a monthly basis.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
HL2478
Session
2026-27
Related items
Fracture Liaison Services
Monday, 6 July 2026
Oral answers to questions
House of Lords
Grouped for answer
Yes
Subjects
Health services Fractures
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk