Ormskirk family tackles £1.73bn osteoporosis burden

Four members of an Ormksirk family are embarking on a local business venture with a national vision.

Mednostic Solutions is challenging the way ostoeporosis is currently managed, offering a proactive approach to detecting and treating the disease.

The idea of ex-pharmaceutical sales and marketing manager, Ben Paglia, and Ormskirk-based GP commissioner, Dr Jack Kinsey, Dexa health will specialise in osteoporosis diagnostics using expert scanning equipment.

Ben explains: “Our focus is to aid primary and secondary prevention of bone fractures in an increasingly ageing population. The current NHS approach is to diagnose patients after breaking a bone, we want to encourage people with risk factors to be aware of their personal bone health which can be detected during our scanning process.

“It’s shocking to think one in three women will suffer a fracture caused by osteoporosis – many of these fractures could be prevented with adequate screening.”

According to the National Osteoporosis Guideline Group (NOGG) fractures related to osteoporosis cost the NHS over £1.73bn each year, this is expected to rise to over £2.1bn per year in 2020.

As the UK’s first bone density and body composition scanning specialist facility for osteoporosis and sports science, Dexa health is highlighting the growing need to raise awareness of osteoporosis. For the NHS there is a huge financial burden associated with the condition as well as life changing implications of fractures both in men and women.

Ben continues: “The disease is massively under diagnosed and provision for scanning is currently hugely under resourced. Our services are regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), whilst our registered nurses are fully trained by the National Osteoporosis Society in bone densitometry as well as treatment and management of the condition.”

The team, which is made up of sisters Rachel Paglia and Joanne Kinsey along with husbands Ben Paglia and Dr Jack Kinsey, has a combined 40 years medical experience. Rachel and Joanne are qualified nurses.

In addition to osteoporosis screening, the team will also work with a number of local associates including fitness trainers, health professionals and nutritional experts to offer full body composition and fitness analysis for professional athletes. The results, which will also be reviewed by qualified radiographers, will be incorporated into bespoke health, fitness or rehabilitation programs to target weight-loss and manage safe muscle-gaining activities, preventing injury through over-training.