Dr Nicola Peel wins Queen’s Award for outstanding contribution to osteoporosis treatment and care
11 October 2024
Dr Nicola Peel has won The Queen’s Award for Osteoporosis in recognition of her outstanding contribution to osteoporosis treatment and care.
The prestigious award was presented to Nicola, former clinical lead at the metabolic bone service at Sheffield’s Northern General Hospital, by The Queen at a reception at Clarence House last week.
Nicola has dedicated over 30 years to research and clinical management of osteoporosis, a condition that causes bones to weaken and thin, making them more likely to break.
As a consultant, she led the development of a one-stop fracture risk assessment service in Sheffield, designed to improve the evaluation of people with and at risk of fractures.
In addition to a standard DXA scan to measure bone density, some patients undergo additional testing based on their individual needs, including blood tests and specialised scans to identify vertebral fractures. This model of care has since been implemented by other NHS clinics nationwide.
Under her leadership, the metabolic bone service also became the first service in the UK to offer biochemical monitoring of osteoporosis treatment in primary care. A simple blood test helps patients, and their GPs know within a few months if they are benefiting from treatment – far earlier and at lower cost than the standard approach using repeat DXA scans.
In addition to her NHS work, Nicola was also recognised for her research contribution and outstanding leadership in the field of osteoporosis. Over the years, Nicola has been published in many academic and scientific journals and has represented the profession at national and international meetings and provided training for undergraduate medical students, doctors in training and allied healthcare professionals.
Throughout her career, Nicola has volunteered with the Royal Osteoporosis Society, undertaking a number of roles with the charity including as editor for the healthcare professional journal Osteoporosis Review and as chair of the organising committee for the national conference. She has represented ROS as a clinical expert to organisations including NICE and NHS England and has been a trustee of the charity since 2019.
More recently she has become closely involved in the charity’s policy and public affairs work, playing a leading role in securing the commitment from government to implementation of universal Fracture Liaison Services (FLS) by 2030. FLS offers a cost-saving model of secondary fracture prevention care, systematically identifying, assessing and treating osteoporosis in adults over 50 who break a bone.
Speaking about her award Dr Nicola Peel said:
“I feel so proud to have received this award. Throughout my medical career I have been really fortunate to work in an area that both fascinates me and where I believe I can make a difference, and also to have worked with so many wonderful people. To be recognised for this work has been an unexpected honour and means a great deal to me.”
ENDS
