Service in Rochdale helping patients get back on their feet faster

Photo: NHS Greater Manchester

Not all patients however will have serious injuries that require hospital treatment

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An NHS Greater Manchester programme in Rochdale has helped 89 people who have fallen at home receive a fast response and non-emergency medical support, since its creation in November 2022.

Falls at home are common, particularly amongst older residents. Not all patients however will have serious injuries that require hospital treatment. They simply need help getting up, checked over and made sure that they are safe to be left at home.

Unfortunately, due to high demand on the ambulance service and paramedics, there may be a delay in getting to these individuals, often older, who usually remain on the floor. Evidence shows that the longer an older person remains on the floor, the worse the health outcomes are likely to be.

The Rochdale reactive falls service aims to combat this. When a person who has fallen calls NHS 111 or 999, they are assessed by call operators and, if appropriate, referred to the reactive falls team who aim to get to them within two hours.

The reactive falls team are professionally trained to lift the patient and get them comfortable, as well as give basic medical care.

If needed, the team can make contact with a clinician who can give them advice over the phone and if the patient’s condition is more complex, the team will have an ambulance dispatched.

Providing fast and appropriate care in the community avoids unnecessary hospital visits, helps to ease pressure on hospital and ambulance services allowing them to respond to more complex incidents and gives the best care to patients.