Community scanning service receives Royal best wishes

Company news

Aug 08, 2014

A Care UK-run community-based bone-scanning service covering west Norfolk has received the best wishes of HRH Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall.

The Royal couple were visiting the Sandringham Flower Show at the Royal Sandringham Park Estate where the King’s Lynn & District National Osteoporosis Society had a stand. Sharing the stand was Rebecca Gear, osteoporosis specialist nurse practitioner at Care UK.

Rebecca said: “Camilla was very happy to see us again and asked how the service was performing and how many people we have seen. She stood there for a while chatting. It was lovely to have their interest in us and they wished us all luck for the future.”

The Community Diagnostics Service has been run by Care UK in partnership with the local NHS for the past three years. One of its DEXA scanners, which scans and diagnoses bone conditions – including osteoporosis – is available at three GP surgeries: St James Clinic in King’s Lynn, Bayfield Surgery in Docking and Plowright Surgery in Swaffham. More than 3,000 people have now been scanned locally, saving them a journey to Norwich or Peterborough.

Rebecca added: “The service has proved extremely beneficial to local people since we launched it in October 2011. As part of my role, I contact patients and provide education on their osteoporosis diagnosis, explain medications and run clinics. Working with the King’s Lynn & District National Osteoporosis Society has proved very useful.”