DOCTORS in Glasgow treating children with rickets have called for greater clarity from the government about preventative measures.

Dr Stephen Gallagher said in common with other cities, Glasgow had seen a return of the condition, common in the Victorian era, which is linked to Vitamin D deficiency and causes bone deformities.

The Scottish Government recommends that all children over the age of five should get 10mg of Vitamin D per day.

However Dr Gallagher, who specialises in the treatment of bone diseases, said there was no consensus on the best way to achieve this, such as routine prescribing for 'at risk' groups..

Across the UK, cases of rickets have risen from 675 in 2009/10 to 937 in 2015/16.

Dr Gallagher, who treats patients at the QEUH, said individuals would have to drink 50 pints of milk a day to get the recommended amount from diet and it is difficult to quantify how much sun exposure (without sunscreen) is required.

He said: “In the last 10 years, we have started to see a return of the ‘Glasgow disease’ in all communities as well as osteomalacia, which is the adult form.

“It was left to all the individual health authorities to fix it.

“Public Health England was first followed by NHS Scotland who produced a statement on what to do and it’s very nebulous.

“On the one hand it says everyone over the age of five should consume 10 mg, 400 units, of vitamin D every day but how do you do that?

“Is this about food supplementation? Is it about some of sort of strategic prescribing for at risk groups?

“There’s still no consensus about what we should do.

“We know that the public are not very good at taking supplements.

“When we start talking about sunlight exposure, people will inevitably say, well hang on, that’s bad for you too, skin cancer and of course that’s true.

“There is a degree of healthy sunlight exposure that we want to get but it’s not easy to quantify.”

In March the government announced that all pregnant women would be offered free vitamins including folic acid and vitamin D.

Dr Gallagher said most people achieve a daily intake of about 100 units of Vitamin D, around a quarter of what we need but does not recommend routine supplementation.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Our guidance is clear – everyone over the age of five should consider taking a daily vitamin D supplement, particularly in winter.

“Those at greatest risk of vitamin D deficiency, including pregnant and breastfeeding women, children under five years old and those who are not exposed to much sunlight such as housebound individuals, should take a daily supplement all year round.”

Dr Gallagher was among the speakers at a conference organised by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons in Glasgow.