Osteoporosis can lead to fractures and affects mostly older women

The South West Kent Primary Care Trust (PCT) has said it may not be able to operate its scanner again until the new financial year, starting next April.

Under national guidelines sufferers can only be treated once the condition has been confirmed by a bone density scan.

The PCT said osteoporosis was one of its priorities, and it would be drawing up an action plan to tackle the issue.

It's a very worrying situation, especially for older women who may think that they have osteoporosis and could benefit from treatment Greg Clark, Conservative MP for Tunbridge Wells

About 200 people on a waiting list are thought to be affected and the PCT is under pressure to seek funds from elsewhere to resolve the issue.

The Conservative MP for Tunbridge Wells, Greg Clark, whose constituency is covered by the trust, said the situation was completely unacceptable and he would be speaking to the health minister when parliament resumed.

He explained that although patients could be scanned elsewhere in the county there was not the money to pay for it because sufferers had to be referred by GPs and the cash still had to come from the local PCT.

He said: "There is a reorganisation of the PCT going on at the moment - I hope that one of the benefits of that is that it might save some money."

It is not known how much funding is needed to bring the scanner back into operation but a statement from the South West Kent Primary Care Trust said that by July of this year it had provided a scan for everyone on the waiting list at that time.

It added that the PCT had agreed to carry out a full review of its services where patients were waiting for treatment and that an action plan would be put in place.