October 13, 2023 | Terry Smith

What can providers do to reduce the impact of falls on the NHS this winter?

Falls in the community could have a big impact on the pressure the NHS faces this winter, especially if they aren’t effectively managed in a way that avoids unnecessary involvement of emergency services.

In this article, we will look at ways in which providers can help to reduce the impact falls have on the NHS this winter.

Jump straight to:

What can be done to reduce the impact falls have on the NHS this winter?

To reduce the impact that falls have on winter pressures, all minor and non-injury falls in the community should be responded to by providers in the community or by community-based response services.

By keeping the burden of minor and non-injury off ambulance services, we are enabling the ambulance service to respond to higher priority calls, faster, and freeing up capacity in hospitals and emergency departments, reducing pressure faced by the NHS during winter.

What can providers do to take the burden of falls off emergency services?

Below are just some of the ways providers can step up and contribute in reducing the impact of falls on the NHS this winter:

Hospitals: Ensure all inpatient falls are able to be responded to effectively and quickly

Hospitals need to ensure that they have the appropriate tools and training in place to effectively and quickly respond to all injury falls, to minimise the impact they have on staff time and capacity, and to avoid the complications of long lies. Typically, hospitals use equipment such as flat lifting equipment combined with Raizer Lifting Chairs to cater to all types of fallers.

Community-based Response and CFR Teams: Upskill teams to respond to falls

By upskilling community-based response teams and CFR groups in falls response and equipping them with equipment such as Raizer Lifting Chairs, we can enable a quick response to non-injury falls, improving the outcomes for the fallers and freeing up capacity for ambulance services to respond to higher priority calls.

Care Homes: Upskill and enable staff to respond to falls

Falls in care homes represent a significant proportion of ambulance callouts to falls in the community. By upskilling and enabling care homes to safely assess and respond to falls themselves, with the use of tools such as HelpFall and Raizer Chairs, we are taking this burden off emergency services and improving outcomes for the patients, care home, and the system as a whole.

Domiciliary Care Agencies: Offer falls response services to clients

Domiciliary care providers can also upskill their staff with appropriate tools, equipment and training to offer falls response to lift their fallen clients and other fallers in the community, helping them improve outcomes for the fallers, reduce ambulance callouts and save staff time.