A state-of-the-art bone density unit at Bradford Royal Infirmary was opened by the Princess Royal yesterday.

Wearing a green coat with black trim to keep warm on a very blustery day she arrived outside the hospital in Duckworth Lane with Lord Lieutenant of West Yorkshire, Dr Ingrid Roscoe.

Patients waiting for appointments inside watched as Bradford Teaching Hospitals chairman David Richardson escorted the Princess to the bone density unit where people with suspected osteoporosis are referred.

She was introduced to staff, including Chris Callicott, clinical scientist and head of medical physics and Jane Trelkeld, senior medical technologist whose two-and-a-half-year-old daughter Hannah, wearing a pink princess dress presented the Princess Royal with a posy of flowers.

In the bone density room Christine Kay, section manager of bone densitometry, and Elizabeth Watmuff, medical technologist, showed her the new £90,000 bone scanner which checks for signs of osteoporosis. It is capable of scanning a third more patients than the old one.

The Princess Royal then met Dr Katharina Sokoll, consultant rheumatologist in the scanning report room before meeting staff from Bradford and Airedale Teaching Primary Care Trust, hospital governors and members of the Bradford branch of the National Osteoporosis Society.

Unveiling a plaque the princess said: "Osteoporosis is going to get a higher profile in the future because we have an ageing population."

Mr Richardson said it had been a real honour to have the Princess to open the bone density unit.

He said: "It was a great opportunity to showcase the clinical excellence and quality of the osteoporosis and falls team."

Patient Connie Binsley, who met the Princess, said: "She asked when I was diagnosed and if it had altered my lifestyle. She seemed genuinely interested and had no airs or graces."

Osteoporosis is an age-related disease which reduces bone mass and strength and one in three women and one in 12 men over the age of 50 will develop it, putting them at risk of broken bones - usually the hip, wrist or a bone in the back.

The National Osteoporosis Society is the only charity dedicated to improving the diagnosis and prevention of the disease.

Next week members of the group will be in Wilsden Primary School for three days for their healthy school week showing children how their bones grow and how to keep them healthy.

e-mail: claire.lomax@telegraphandargus.co.uk

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