The Falls Response Governance Framework for NHS Ambulance Trusts document has been developed with input from NHS ambulance trusts and members of the National Falls Prevention Coordination Group (NFPCG), which is chaired by Public Health England (PHE).
It has been produced as a key output from the NHS England and NHS Improvement Safely Reducing Avoidable Conveyance programme as an initial step in supporting access to appropriate care for people who have fallen.
The purpose of this document is to outline a national ambulance service approach in response to people who have fallen to ensure that they receive appropriate care, treatment and access to falls prevention services, and when safe to do so, avoid conveyance to hospital emergency departments (EDs).
It describes the underpinning principles and clinical governance for providing responsive, compassionate and person-centred services for people who have fallen or who are at risk of falling.
The framework intends to:
- Articulate how ambulance trusts and partners in the health, social care and the voluntary sector respond to people who have fallen
- Provide clarity on roles and responsibilities of ambulance trusts in relation to falls and falls prevention
- Describe how ambulance trusts can have the greatest impact on falls and fractures
- Support collaboration and interoperability between health systems
- Meet the needs of people who have fallen using a system wide approach to falls and falls prevention
- Recognise that a system-wide approach to falls is needed
Additionally this framework can be used by commissioning bodies in optimising services for falls and fractures, falls prevention and responses to falls in community settings, including care homes. Local context will need to be considered alongside this framework in terms of integration of relevant services, however, the principles are applicable across the UK.
