Benefits for NHS if number of falls reduced

A report has shown that reducing falls can help NHS trusts improve patient experience and reduce costs.

NHS Improvement has released a report which illustrates the scale of inpatient falls and the benefits to the NHS if the rate of inpatient falls was reduced.

Using data from the National Reporting and Learning System (NRLS), the report found that: in 2015/16 more than 250,000 falls were reported across acute, mental health and community hospital settings; 77 per cent of all reported inpatient falls happen to patients over the age of 65; the estimated overall cost of £630 million equates to approximately 25 per cent of the £2.3 billion total costs of falls estimated by NICE; and older patients are both more likely to fall and more likely to suffer harm.

The report also found that an annual saving of up to £170 million could result if inpatient falls were reduced by 25-30 per cent.

The report follows the completion of NHS Improvement’s improvement collaborative which encouraged 19 trusts to adopt improvement methodologies and created a learning community for them to discuss changes and share their findings.