Camilla praises doctor's work on bone condition

Dr Nicky Peel (right), pictured here with Queen Camilla after receiving the award for exceptional leadership in the field of osteoporosis and bone health

A doctor has been praised by Queen Camilla for her research in to osteoporosis, saying her own mother had suffered with the bone-weakening condition.

Dr Nicky Peel, the former clinical lead for the metabolic bone service at Sheffield's Northern General Hospital, received the Queen's Award for Osteoporosis at a ceremony last week.

During her career, Dr Peel dedicated over 30 years to researching and improving diagnosis and treatment of the condition and developed a new assessment model to help improve the evaluation of people at risk of fractures.

The Queen thanked her for her work and told her: "I don't know what we would do without you".

Osteoporosis develops slowly over several years and weakens bones, making them fragile and more likely to break. It is sometimes referred to as a "silent" condition because it often has no symptoms until a bone breaks.

In a speech to medics, volunteers and supporters associated with the Royal Osteoporosis Society (ROS), the Queen spoke about her own experience of the disease.

"My mother [Rosalind Shand] died of osteoporosis, not of the actual disease, it was never diagnosed in those days, and old people were just cast aside as old people, you know, 'sorry, we can't do anything about it'," she said.

"Had she lived nowadays a lot would have been done about it."

During the ceremony at Clarence House she presented Dr Peel with the Queen's Award for Osteoporosis, formerly the Duchess of Cornwall Award.

She said: "Nicky, who's been a star for so many years, she's been involved for 30 years - I've only been involved for 23.

"You do such a wonderful job, please keep on doing it. I don't know what we'd do without you."

Queen Camilla, president of the Royal Osteoporosis Society (centre) at the inaugural Queen's Award for Osteoporosis at Clarence House in London

Dr Peel, who recently retired from the NHS, is an adviser to the all-party parliamentary group on osteoporosis and bone health and is a ROS trustee.

She also played a leading role in securing cross-party commitment to universal fracture liaison services, which play an important role in identifying, assessing and treating osteoporosis.

Dr Peel said it was a real honour to be given the award, adding: "What's really lovely is the recognition for doing something which I do because I enjoy it and the cause means a great deal to me."

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