This Falls Prevention Awareness Week, Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT) is reminding people who live in west Essex about the Falls Response Service.
Staffed by a clinician and therapist from the Trust’s Urgent Community Response Service (UCRS), the Falls Response Service aims to reach patients within two hours wherever possible.
Using specialist equipment, the team is able to help lift and move patients, and will treat them for any injuries wherever possible, or arrange for them to be taken to hospital if needed.
During every call out, the team assesses the patient’s physical health and risk of future falls, and makes sure they have any additional care and equipment they need, referring to other community services where needed.
With the team’s support, most patients are able to remain in the comfort of their own home.
The falls response service launched on 1 June 2023 and helped 1,133 people in its first year. This has increased to 1,424 people in its second year.
Louise Knight, Intermediate Care Team Therapy Lead at EPUT, said: “We know how distressing and frightening it can be when someone has a fall. We have multiple cars, clinicians and physiotherapists within our UCRS, meaning we can respond to falls that happen at the same time. This means we can reach patients in a more timely manner, help them safely, and give them the reassurance and support they need to remain at home wherever possible.”
The service is for any resident in west Essex who is registered with a west Essex GP, and has had a fall with or without injury, or requires lifting from the floor.
Residents who have fallen or need help for someone else who has fallen, can call 0300 123 5433 and choose option 2. The Falls Response Service operates seven days a week from 8am to 8pm.