Falls

• George Baker, Lead Practitioner for Falls Prevention and Patient Safety (B8a) 
• Claire Welsh, Falls Nurse (B6)
• Sue Thomalla, Falls Nurse (B6)
• Barbara Davies, Falls Nurse (B6)
• Zoe Cookson, Falls Nurse (B6)
• Maria Thomas, Assistant Falls Practitioner (B4)

The FRAD is found on ADT and is completed for all patients within six hours of attendance to ED/admission to hospital, weekly and on conditional change for example following a inpatient fall. if the patient is identified as a falls risk after completing the FRAD the following documents will be triggered to be completed for the patient including falls prevention care plan and the lying and standing blood pressure assessment form.

After completing the FRAD this will lead the staff onto the following documents to be completed for the patients at risk of falls. This includes the FPCP and the lying and standing pressure assessment.

The FPCP consists of the fundamental falls risk factors which need to be considered, and prevention strategies put in place by the nurse. The risk factors include:

• Environment
• Mobility
• Toileting
• Cognition
• Medications
• Underlying health conditions.

Staff on the wards need to use a new digital Falls Team referral which can be accessed via the ADT dashboard. The patient must meet one or more of the following criteria:

• Any inpatients who have sustained one or more inpatient falls.
• Patient is having frequent/unexplained falls.
• Multiple Falls (two or more) a home prior to admission within the past 12 months.
• There are ongoing safety concerns after implementing the falls prevention care plan.
• Patient is very concerned/frightened about falling and losing their confidence.

Even if we put all the relevant interventions in place, unfortunately we cannot stop all patients from falling in hospital. If patients does fall it is imperative, we follow the correct steps to keep the patient safe and limit distress from the incident. 

Action

• Assess the patient for injury
• Inform medical team
• Assist patient from the floor using appropriate lifting equipment or safe moving and handling techniques 
• Post falls medical review 
• Datix
• Complete falls debrief tool
• Reassess FRAD and falls care plan
• Inform NOK

Assess the patient for injury

When a patient is found on the floor it can be distressing for both patient and staff. Please follow the post fall flow chart (can be found in the LUFHT falls Policy)

Inform Medics

Inform medics of incident, assessment to be completed on PENS/ADT post falls clinical assessment within 30 mins of incident

Manual handling

• Always move patients off the floor using safe moving and handling technique
• Assess if the patient can get themselves off the floor independently or with min assistance of 1-2 people
• if unable ensure to use hover jack

for locations of hover jack please contact moving and handling team. 

Datix

All falls must be recorded on datix. Staff must complete this thoroughly providing as much information as possible. 

• Full description of the event
• Exact location where the patient was found
• Time of fall 
• Environment 
• Activity at the time of fall
• Preventative measure in place 
• Actions taken following the fall. 

Falls debrief tool 

This document must be used by staff on the wards following a fall and be completed before the end of the shift. Then uploaded onto Datix.

The falls debrief tool is to be completed for moderate and above harm falls incidents.

The decision to trigger the falls debrief tool for incidents moderate and above is to ensure we can meet the quality aspects of duty of candour. Over time and as local areas gain confidence in the new process we will move away from this aspect.

See details on the first page of the document. Once completed please upload onto Datix.

NOK

Inform NOK unless patient has cognition and requests not to inform them. 

Posters

Please email: reprographics@liverpoolft.nhs.uk.

Falls Wrist Band

To order falls wrist band, Please order Via Oracle use order code WQZ812

Slipper socks

Order slipper socks via Oracle. Ensure wards have all four colours are fit the patient correct.

Royal Liverpool University Hospital

For ordering falls alarms, please use Oracle.

Aintree University Hospital and Broadgreen Hospital

For ordering falls alarms.

To ensure staff have the best knowledge surrounding falls prevention ensure essential skills is completed via ESR.

For extra training surrounding falls 000 preventing falls can be completed via ESR 

For falls alarm training at the Royal

https://meetings-eu1.hubspot.com/chris-symonds. or contact falls team on 0151 706 3477.

For falls alarm training at Broadgreen, please call 0151 706 3477.

For falls alarm training at Aintree, please call 0151 529 3406.

For all training surrounding falls awareness contact falls team at fallsteam@liverpoolft.nhs.uk