Falls Prevention Service

The Community Falls service provided by TyneHealth operating across North Tyneside is no longer available to receive new referrals.  The ICB would like to thank TyneHealth for the support in delivering this service.  The service is currently working with any remaining patients within the service to ensure a safe transition of care.  The ICB is currently considering future commissioning options and will update in the coming months.  The strength and balance education programme provided by Age UK North Tyneside continues to receive referrals (further information available via link Age UK North Tyneside | Strength & Balance), as does the secondary care falls clinic provided by Northumbria Healthcare NHS FT.

The Falls Prevention Service (FPS) was designed to proactively identify patients – who potentially have issues that would otherwise have gone unchecked – to stop them from falling.

Patients must be over 65 years of age to be able to access this service.

We accepted GP referrals and offered a self-assessment survey to all patients. Those identified in their replies as suitable were offered an appointment.

The appointment included:

1. Healthcare Assistant assessment conducting ECG, blood pressure and physiological measurements
2. Physiotherapist assessment
3. Clinician Assessment if required

After the appointment patients received a care plan, a copy of which was also sent to your GP.

The FPS was part of a success in reducing the incidence of falls in the community. The service was well received by patients, routinely patient satisfaction exceeds a 95% excellent rating.

The FPS Team worked alongside the Fire Service and also the Ambulance Service. If a patient had a fall, NEAS (North East Ambulance Service) will automatically offer a referral to us.

We worked alongside Age UK who offer Strength and Balance Classes and the majority of our patients were referred to them for a course of strength and balance training with a specialist physio.

Once all treatment was complete the patient was discharged with a Falls Care Plan and a home exercise booklet. They were also given other relevant booklets and information when required and in the most appropriate and accessible format.

The information gathered by the team was also sent to the patient’s GP along with any actions or advice that the GP needs to be made aware of. The team aimed to complete as many required referrals as possible, but there are some things that we had to ask the patient’s GP to do at their end – such as DEXA scans for bone density and osteoporosis risk assessment – as we could not receive and action the results of these scans within the service itself.